What The Future Holds
by be93
Summary: The war continues, the sheriff is still in power but there are some people willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good........Marian/Robin Djaq/Will.
1. Chapter 1

Robin Hood

**This is my first fan fic, its set a fair few years after series 1 (I have completely ignored series 2), and I hope you enjoy it!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood or the characters from the show, I do however own the character of Lillian and a few future ones.**

"Lillian, Breakfast!" a voice called.

Lillian opened her eyes and groaned, she wrenched herself out of bed and walked over to the window, she threw open the shutters and looked out. Below her the village was up and ready for another day. She smiled to herself before going over to her chest and opening it, after rooting around she pulled out what she was looking for; her orange dress. It had been her mother's but when Lillian had turned 15 her mother had given Lillian her old clothes.

Lillian loved them; every dress came with a story, this dress had been the one her mother had worn the first time she had seen her father after his long absence. She smiled as she remembered the story while she slipped it over her head and looked in her mirror, she found a brush and began to sort out the mess that was her hair.

Putting the brush down she turned and made her bed, gently smoothing the covers until there were no creases. Happy, she pulled open her door and descended down the stairs.

"Morning darling" her father said as she sat down at the table.

She grinned and began to pick at a piece of bread, taking small bites while her father ate a more satisfying breakfast. He looked at her and she saw the protective look in his gaze.

She smiled to herself. With his wife he would risk his life to save the people of Nottinghamshire and yet he was worried when he did not think she was eating enough. She leaned over and picked up a slice of bread from his plate and was rewarded with a grateful look from her mother. She watched as her parents grinned at each other before returning to her breakfast.

They may be England's only hope but to her, under all that they were still just her beloved parents; Robin and Marian.

**I know that was a short chapter but I just wanted to have a punchy beginning, please review!!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Vaysey was bored. He had eaten breakfast and was now on his 3rd cup of wine this morning; he took another sip and sighed. The Sheriff of Nottingham was a good title but after years at the job he had expected something larger. In his mind he had shown his loyalty to Prince John 4 times over and couldn't understand why on earth he hadn't been offered a higher role, for now he would have to carry on reprimanding peasants, he smiled; perhaps being the sheriff wasn't so bad.

"GUY!!"

Guy had been on his way to the great hall when he heard the sheriff call his name, he ran to the sheriff's quarters expecting the worse. He couldn't quite understand how the old outlaw had got in to the castle, but however he had done it, Guy was certain he would pay for it.

So when bursting in to the room and finding the sheriff sitting drinking wine, clearly fine, he was baffled.

"Yes my lord, it sounded urgent"

The sheriff laughed. "No not really, I'm rather bored, amuse me."

Guy let out a small sigh, he should have known, of course Robin Hood couldn't have got in, the sheriff was simply bored, and as much as he was loyal to Vaysey he had things to do

"With all due respect, the council of Nobles starts fairly soon, I am rather busy."

"Hmmm…..yes of course, go do whatever you must. Killing an outlaw or two wouldn't go a miss!" He smirked at the stupidity of his request.

Guy left the room and marched down to the great hall to check that the guards had put out the chairs as he had requested.

Marian turned her head to check that Lillian was still riding behind them; she never wanted to let her out of her sight. She remembered when they had decided to move Lillian into her own room, every night she'd wake up and go to check on her, to make sure she hadn't fallen out of bed or hurt herself or the sheriff hadn't done something to her. And every time she went she found Lillian fast asleep in exactly the same way she had left her. And as she reached down to stroke the small brown curls on the top of her baby's head she always felt Robin's arm curl around her waist and his lips plant a soft kiss on top of her head. "You should really go back to bed" he'd say and reluctantly she'd follow him back to bed, and the following night the same thing would happen again.

She smiled remembering the memory. Robin grinned at her and she realised that he had been thinking of the exact same thing.

As they rode up to the gates of the castle Lillian glanced over the side of the road and saw the poverty that people were still living in. She sighed, it was right under is nose and yet he did nothing, she realised she shouldn't be surprised, it was Vaysey after all.

They rode under the portcullis and all dismounted, a guard took the reins and lead the horses to the side. As they walked over to the stairs a guard wolf whistled and Lillian smiled at the attention she received. Robin however turned his head and shot a glare at a group of idle guards standing around. Marian grinned and gently pushed his back to urge him forward. He moved reluctantly, still annoyed with whoever it had been.

The guards opened the door as Robin, Marian and Lillian walked through and down the wooden stairs. In the semi-circle of Nobles were two empty chairs, Marian and Robin sat down while Lillian stood behind Robin's chair.

The sheriff sighed "Nice for you to join us Locksley."

"Glad to be here." Robin said though he thought something entirely different.

Vaysey sighed again; he decided he may as well tell Robin what they had been talking about. "We were talking about taxes" he announced, expecting Robin to start a fight with him, he was surprise at the response.

"Great. Good for you Vaysey." Robin knew he had thrown Vaysey off guard and smirked as Vaysey looked at him, confused.

Vaysey carried on trying to ignore Robin "As of Monday the plough tax will increase, I've yet to decide final figures, everyone in agreement?" he said as a question though he knew everyone in the room understood it was a statement.

Well, everyone except one.

"No"

Oh so now Robin wanted to start a fight, well he'd missed his chance.

"Get over yourself Locksley." He said though he knew full well that Robin wasn't going to leave it to rest.

"If one nobleman does not agree then the movement cannot be passed, its basic rules."

Vaysey hated being stopped by rules, there was however a simple way to deal with them.

"Well that rule does not count, as of "he paused "now." He grinned but his face fell as he saw Marian raise her hand,

"Well I disagree too"

"This is a meeting for noblemen, not a circus." but Marian was not one tell leave things alone

"The rule you just discarded was about one nobleman, I make two."

As much as the Sheriff hated her, he had to admit that she was right, in his head, of course.

"Well the new law states that it is the majority's opinion. You two, and no doubt Lillian as well, are a minority." There, he thought smugly, there was no comeback for that.

But of course Robin had another trick up his sleeve. He turned to the nobleman sitting beside him and saw the look of fear in his eyes as he realised he was going to be asked something.

"You agree that taxes should rise?"

The Nobleman had no idea how to respond. "Well, I--I……"

It was a good enough response for Robin. He looked at the sheriff while pointing to the nobleman "I don't think he agrees either."

The sheriff was tired of this charade "Locksley stop your games." Robin simply shook his head. The sheriff continued "Raise your hand if you believe taxes shouldn't rise" As he suspected Robin, Marian and Lillian all raised their hands and a few noblemen but their hands halfway up, trying to be on everyone's side. Vaysey tutted; cowards. "Make your minds up!" and like magic the noblemen quickly put their hands down. "I thought as much. Well then the tax rises." He looked around smiled and then began to write a note on his paper in front of him.

Lillian looked around, all the noblemen were sitting silently staring into their laps, Guy was standing to the Sheriff's right and smirking and her parents were wearing a look of defeat. She swallowed.

"That's ridiculous." she started, Vaysey looked up and all the noblemen turned to face her, nervous she continued, "There are people starving out there and you're raising taxes, they can hardly eat as it is and you are making it even harder! Forgive me if I am incorrect but the job of the Sheriff is to look after his people. You're hardly doing a good job of it." She looked at him, slightly scared for his response.

"Robin you would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue."

She shook her head "Just because I'm a woman you think--" she stopped as Robin rose his hand. She stared at it, amazed.

"Taxes raise, end of. Council adjourned"

Robin looked at the sheriff "We've barely begun."

"It's finished Locksley."

The noblemen stood up and filed out, glad to be out of the room and dreading the next time. Lillian silently followed Robin and Marian as they walked out of the hall.

As they walked down the stairs Robin could sense his daughter's anger, they mounted their horses and Robin took a final look at the guards, trying to detect which one had made the inappropriate noise earlier but he suddenly looked up as he saw Lillian galloping off, clearly upset. He shook his head, annoyed at himself, as he Marian rode together at a slower pace.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed this so far :) **

**and I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Abboz for helping me get started and to Lady Marian of Locksley who, because she so badly wanted to know what I had been imagining, gave me the confidence to share with people the world I have half-been living in for the past couple of years or so! I luv you two!!**

Upon arriving at Locksley manor both Robin and Marian noticed that Lillian's horse was outside. Marian and Robin dismounted their horses and Marian took all three sets of reins and led the horses into the stables.

Robin gently opened the front door; inside there was no sign of Lillian. Robin strode across the room and stopped in his tracks, he moved over to the backdoor and opened it just far enough to poke his head out.

He smirked, and pushed the door wide enough to get through. Lillian was furiously shooting arrows at the wooden pole Will had made for her to practice on. Robin had asked him to make her it for her 7th birthday; the same birthday she had been presented with her first bow. Robin coughed. Lillian turned her head around to see who had interrupted her, when she realised it was her father she turned back round to face the pole and drew a new arrow from her quiver.

"Lillian….." Robin started. She sighed and then turned around, swinging her bow in front of her. Robin took a step backward. "Careful!!" Lillian turned around and hit the wooden pole; right on target.

She turned back to face her father and lowered her bow. "I'm not going to shoot you am I?"

"I'd hope not"

"I'm not a murderer"

"I know" Robin said, picking his words carefully. He put his hand on her arm "But you are angry"

Lillian shrugged his hand off "Can you blame me? You tell me to stand up for myself and defend the poor. Yet when I do, you stop me and side with the Sheriff!"

Robin looked at her "I'm sorry; I'm only trying to protect you."

"And how was that protecting me?"

"Lillian I know you are passionate about this, but the Sheriff was not going to lower taxes, you were wasting your breath."

Lillian looked at him as if he was mad. "What? And so we stop? Hardly a very Robin Hood thing to do; give up."

Inside his head Robin agreed with her. "There are other things we can do. Give them food to help them, give them money."

"We wouldn't have to if he didn't raise taxes."

"I'm sorry." It was a simple statement, and not a very easy one for Robin to say but Lillian barely took any notice.

"You weren't going to say anything. Someone had to!"

Robin felt slightly hurt. "I have better things to do than talk to the sheriff. The council of Nobles is full of cowards; it is hardly worth our time going. We could be doing something more productive. Like helping the poor."

"Stopping the sheriff from raising taxes is helping the poor." Lillian said bluntly.

"I know." came the response, though Lillian wasn't really looking for one.

"Then why did you stop me?"

Robin sighed and looked at her directly "You want to know why? Because when you spoke I suddenly realised that you are no longer my little girl. You are a woman who can hold her own. And that scares me." He looked down at the floor, as if embarrassed.

Therefore he didn't see Lillian smile at him and drop her bow onto the floor and so he was slightly taken aback when she came up to him and hugged him. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers.

And then Lillian whispered in the smallest voice so no one else could hear apart from him;

"I'm still your little girl."


	4. Chapter 4

A big thank you for all the reviews people have left me so far and to those who have taken the time to read, but just haven't

**A big thank you for all the reviews people have left me so far and to those who have taken the time to read, but just haven't left a review, please leave one!!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Lady Marian of Locksley.**

"Lunch is ready" Much announced and all the outlaws immediately stopped what they were doing and got up.

"Mmmm…about time too!!" Much shot Allan a dirty look.

"Well maybe you should cook next time then; I always do and never get anything but moaning!" Much threw down his wooden spoon and it fell to the ground with a deafening noise.

The whole camp laughed uncontrollably. They each collected their bowls and sat down to eat. Will and Djaq sat next to each other and they looked into each other's eyes and grinned.

They all began to eat, but then they stopped.

Horse hoofs.

They all stood up and put down their bowls, Much grabbed his sword and put it in front of him, John grabbed his staff and Will stood forward, protectively, in front of Djaq.

They heard footsteps getting closer and closer; clearly the rider had dismounted and was coming for them.

Then a figure appeared at the entrance of the camp; Robin.

He looked at the scene that greeted him and let out a laugh. Much sighed and everyone put down their weapons. Lillian and Marian arrived and walked into the camp.

"Looks like we just arrive in time" Marian said and nodded at the three bowls sitting on the side.

Much stood tall, "Yes, courtesy of myself, my infamous stew".

Lillian smirked "Modest as ever."

Much blushed and muttered "Help yourself."

"Thanks" Robin said and everyone took their seats again and began to once again eat their stew.

Robin looked around at everybody, Much was digging in to his stew and looking particularly satisfied, John was eating it but looking like he was miles away, probably dreaming about Alice, Allan was looking mischievous, but then, thought Robin, he always does! He turned his gaze towards Will and Djaq, it had been no surprise when the two of them had started to court and they obviously loved each other dearly. Robin smiled; it reminded him of what he and Marian had been like in earlier days. Lastly he looked over to her, his wife, and yet again wondered how she could be so beautiful; she was ageing, of course, but in an amazingly graceful way and yet, at the same time, still looked like she was 22. She looked up from her stew and met his gaze and she smiled her wonderful smile and Robin couldn't help himself but to grin like a young boy, simultaneously they looked over to their daughter and both remembered what she had looked like when she had been born. It hadn't been easy but it had been worth every second of the long labour. Coming out of the memory Robin decided now was a good a time as any to break the news.

"The sheriff is raising taxes." he announced.

The mouthful of stew that Much had just put into his mouth sprayed across the whole camp "What??"

"That's ridiculous." Will said as he began to wipe off the stew from both his and Djaq's shirts.

"The Sheriff I do not like" John announced, but really he didn't need to say it, it was quite obvious to everyone in the whole of Nottingham.

Rather than shout out in outrage, Djaq simply asked the question no one had bothered to ask "Why?"

Will looked at her and gently smiled; she was always so sensible and smart and kept a cool head even when no one else could.

"Does the sheriff need a reason? He says he's raising them, end of. Looks like more deliveries for us." Robin said.

Will nodded "Of course"

But Much wasn't so easily persuaded "Why didn't you say something?"

Robin looked guiltily at Lillian, what was he supposed to say; _"my daughter scared me"_ or _"I realised my daughter was much more mature than I had thought and I couldn't speak" ._He didn't think any of the gang would understand.

While Robin was pondering on what to say Lillian jumped in "The sheriff announced it and then declared the council was over. There wasn't a chance."

Robin smiled a thankful smile at his daughter, she had said the truth, give or take a bit, and the gang seemed to understand. He couldn't have asked for a better child.

Will knew that there was probably more to it than what Lillian had said but he trusted that she had told them the truth, or near enough to it. "Well we'll help out." he said and he spoke for the whole gang.

Djaq nodded with everyone else "We're outlaws; we'll do what we do best!"

And everyone let out a laugh.

**Awww, sweet!!...for now at least ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Ok, so this must be the longest chapter I have written so far and it must be (I say so modestly) the best yet. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far (Abboz and Lady Marian of Locksley) and to people who have read this. I would really like some more reviews, good or bad, I take criticism in my stride. Unless it is that only the two previously mentioned people are the only ones who read this. I really hope that is not the case.**

"Much, can I have a word?" Robin asked.

"Of course master."

The two of them walked out of the camp and a little way off into the woods.

"You really don't have to call me that anymore." Robin said once they stopped.

"Force of habit." Much smiled at Robin. He would always be his master, through the good and bad times; he loved being a free man and Earl of Bonchurch, though there was no Bonchurch yet, but Robin would always remain his master, his chief and Much would always be his loyal, and slightly annoying, servant.

Robin looked at him, "Much you know I am trying to get you out of here and into Bonchurch." he always felt guilty that he was still an outlaw in the forest.

"I know thank you."

"But when the time comes the others do not have anywhere to go. So I was wondering whether some could lodge with you, I have only one spare cottage at Locksley"

Much smiled, Robin was always a forward-thinker, one step a head of everyone else, he always had people's best interests at heart and although sometimes he could be incredibly irritating, Much loved him all the same. "Of course. But master we are managing here."

"I know but I feel bad being free when you are all still stuck here."

"Marian could not pay for all of our releases." Much smiled as he remembered Marian and Robin's wedding, it had been, quite possibly, one of the best day's of his life. Marian had spent a months prior to the wedding trying to find a law that would allow Robin to be saved, if not all the outlaws, and when at last she had found one, Much fondly remembered, she had galloped into the forest and told Robin that they would be able to be man and wife together under the same roof. What she didn't realise was that King Richard had sent his blessing and demanded that Robin be allowed to live with his future wife in Locksley. When Robin had received the King's letter he had smiled, Marian had not needed to have gone to all that trouble.

"No she could not, thank you for being so understanding."

Much smiled at Robin. He made it seem so business-like "It is ok." he said and then stepped forward to hug his best friend.

As much as they had all enjoyed their friends company Robin, Marian and Lillian decided to go back to Locksley in the middle of the afternoon. However as they rode back in to Locksley they were greeted with a scene of violence. Guards were dragging people out of their homes and tying their hands behind their backs, then quickly shoving them into awaiting carts. Guy was in the midst of it ordering them all around. Shocked, Robin, Marian and Lillian dismounted their horses and walked over to the scene. Two carts were full of people and there was a third waiting to leave.

"Guy, leave my people alone." Robin said. All the villagers looked up to Robin and smiled, clearly relieved that he was there.

"Ah, Robin's come to save the day." Guy taunted.

"Sophia!" a mother yelled as her daughter was brought out screaming from their cottage. Upon hearing the name Lillian's head whipped round. She ran up to the guard holding Sophia and punched him squarely in the face. As he walked off reelingly, Lillian drew out her knife and cut the ropes from around Sophia's wrist, Sophia looked up at her and smiled, the two girls then hugged, however it was short lived as Guy marched up to the pair. Spotting her mother in a crowd of villagers, Sophia ran off to join her.

"You should not have done that." Guy said.

Lillian smirked "No, you don't think I should have done that."

Guy stood in front of her, blocking Lillian from her parents view. "These people cannot pay taxes and will hang for their crimes. You setting them free will not help."

"Hanging them is not going to help." Lillian said bluntly.

Guy shook his head and brought out his famous dagger. He held it in front of him as Lillian looked down at it and swallowed. "Leave my men to do what they are told to do." he said simply.

"Or?"

"Someone might get hurt."

Lillian brought out her knife, "I could say the same."

She smiled at Guy innocently but for him that was one step too far. With his dagger still in front of him he lunged at Lillian and she quickly put a protective hand on herself while still holding her knife with her other hand.

Robin's attention was suddenly grabbed by the commotion and realising what Guy had done he ran over to him and punched him in the face, Guy looked up at Robin with his menacing smile and rose his hand to deliver a blow when Marian grabbed it. She put a hand on both of their shoulders and drew them apart. Standing in front of Lillian she began to speak.

"Stop it! You two are both grown men and you are behaving like children!" she said looking at them both. "When will you grow u--" As her gaze passed from Guy on her left to Robin on her right she looked at Lillian.

And froze.

Guy looked at Marian, expecting her to continue with her speech, he liked having her hand on his shoulder, restricting him, he didn't like the man whom her other hand was resting on. Robin was glaring at him. As he realised Marian had stopped talking Guy looked at her and followed where her eyes were pointing.

Robin glared at Guy, he was angry with him and annoyed that now Marian was giving them one of her 'lectures' but he suddenly realised, with a sense of dread, that she had stopped mid-sentence. He looked at his wife and followed her line of sight, which lead directly at Lillian.

Lillian looked straight at her mother with a look of dread. She saw her mother's face fall as she looked at her and she watched as both Guy and her father followed her mothers gaze to look at her. Nervously she lifted the hand that she had flung out protectively, the hand which had landed on her upper stomach. She looked down and saw what everyone else saw.

Blood.


	6. Chapter 6

So now I have found the time, from who knows where to write this chapter, I realise it should have been written a LONG time ag

**So now I have found the time, from who knows where to write this chapter, I realise it should have been written a LONG time ago but I have been so busy with various other projects, this has taken the far back seat. But now its back in the front and so here is the next chapter. I believe the saying goes 'short but sweet' well it's short, but hardly sweet.**

**As always reviews are greatly appreciated although I kind of realise that as this has gone cold so may your interest in it, if many of you read it in the first place. **

Chapter 6

Robin ran forward. Marian's grip had been so loose it wasn't even hard to break away. Thoughts raced through his head. Lillian was his only child and he refused to lose her at Guy's hand; the man who nearly took Marian away all those years ago. He dropped to the floor and grabbed Lillian's shoulders, she looked into his eyes and two tears fell down both her cheeks, he nearly laughed at the irony that she could cry perfectly.

"Its fine" she whispered "it's just a scratch" she clamped her hand over the wound in an attempt to stop the flow of blood.

She'd seen worse, she had witnessed her father's wounds after an 'adventure' with the gang. She remembered ,almost laughing, the time she'd shot him in the foot; it had been the day after her 7th birthday and she had pulled him out of bed as soon as she had woken up, desperate to try and be as good as him with a bow. She's never felt so bad in her life, he had laughed and smiled at her with this arrow sticking out of his boot, but she saw beneath the smile; the mask, she knew inside that she had hurt him and it made her feel terrible.

Then she remembered the whispered hush of conversations when she was a little girl, the snippets of hushed words between grown-ups and she remembered with a sense of dread the horrific story that her mother had told her, about how she gained the scar across her stomach. She looked down at her own stomach, slightly ironic she thought that the same man had stabbed her with the same knife in the same place.

"No Lillian, its not. I'm sorry" Robin brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up at the sound of footsteps, and saw her mother's face stained with tears.

"I'll go and get Djaq" she said and Robin nodded, Marian ran off in the direction of her horse and mounted it and rode faster than she had ever ridden before.

Guy had seized the distraction as an opportunity to complete the task he had started, with Robin occupied he ordered various men and together the ruthlessly bundled the remaining villagers into the awaiting carts. Lillian looked up and saw what he was doing.

"Father, I'm fine" she said with as much sincerity as she could muster.

"No you are not, let me take you inside"

"No leave me and help your people"

Robin looked at them, at their longing faces and sighed, he could not leave his villagers; they depended on him and he had vowed never to let them down and here he was letting Guy take them but he could not leave her; his daughter, and he had seen wounds at battle and knew what danger she could be in.

And in that split second he had to choose; his people or his daughter.


	7. Chapter 7

**So here is the next chapter. The ending is not great in my opinion but it would be great to hear if you think otherwise. I was kind of on a roll at the beginning and I can see where I stopped writing and picked it up the next day, but if you can't that's great :D Still, hope you enjoy it!!!**

Chapter 7

Marian galloped through the forest, she felt the wind rushing through her hair, teasing out stray strands from her hair piece, she ducked under low branches and directed her horse up to the left as they came across a split in the path and then she shouted the one person's name who could help her daughter at the top of her voice; Djaq.

The door of Locksley Manor banged open and Robin backed into the open entrance turning around and carrying his precious bundle upstairs. Lillian groaned as he mounted the stairs one by one. He had chosen his daughter; he had no choice, he knew that the sheriff would want to make a show of his villagers, he had time to save them, something Lillian did not have, he forced his head upright, he couldn't bear the sight of her stained dress and kicked her bedroom door open with his foot. He walked slowly over to the bed and lowered her gently down; she winced in pain as she made contact with the mattress.

"I'm fine" she whispered, but she was saying it more to reassure herself than her father.

Djaq heard her name before anyone else at camp, and she could recognise the caller's voice too. Marian, she thought with a sense of dread, she looked around the camp and her gaze met Will's; his eyes focused on her in a panic-stricken look, she looked away and began to run out of the camp in search of her best friend, she could not look into his eyes any longer; they were not helping to calm her nerves. They had both heard the tone in Marian's voice and it meant that someone was in trouble.

Marian dismounted her horse and looked up to see Djaq jogging down the hill to meet her.

"It's Lillian" Marian said, in a hoarse voice. Djaq didn't need to be told any more, she ran back, retracing her steps and left Marian clinging on to her horse's saddle, struggling for breath. She entered the camp and threw open a chest, and rummaged through the contents.

"What do you need?" Will asked.

"Horses" came the one-worded reply; Will nodded and exited the camp, whistling for their horses.

"I don't like this" Much stated "What's going on? Who's hurt? Is someone going to die? Is it Robin? He can't die. Djaq what--"

"Much! Shhh!" Djaq shouted, finally finding her medical kit. He was never good in a crisis, ironic, she thought, that he was an outlaw and had been to battle, she tried to picture him calmly dealing with a situation, she couldn't. Much was always the last person you wanted if there was quick-thinking involved. Djaq paced out of the camp and Allan and John followed her. Much was left standing in the middle of the now empty space wondering what an earth to do; he grabbed a sword and ran to catch the others up.

Robin looked up as the door banged open and his friends all made a rather untidy grand entrance into his daughter's room. Djaq strode over to the bed and looked at Lillian kindly. Robin watched her gaze, he was sure he'd be able to tell from her eyes if things were alright…or not. Djaq looked at Lillian blankly in the face, their eyes holding in a gaze for a matter of seconds, but what felt like minutes. Nervously Djaq lifted up Lillian's hand and broke eye contact to look down at the wound she had just uncovered.

"It's just a scratch" Lillian murmured as Djaq inspected her cut.

Djaq did not let her face betray her as she felt Robin's glance upon her, she simply ripped Lillian's dress a little so she could see the full extent of the wound.

Allan sighed, he was bored already and he felt bad, standing her looking at Lillian and being able to do nothing to help her, Djaq turned around and glared at him, he cursed inwardly, sighing had been a mistake.

"This room is too full, John; take Allan outside and occupy him, Will I need you to get me a cup of wine to ease the pain, Marian I need you to relax I promise I am doing the best I can. Oh and Much…go and cook or something" everyone followed Djaq's orders and as the room emptied Djaq prepared herself, she got a cloth and dipped it into a nearby bowl of water and began to clean the wound area so she could see more clearly what she was dealing with. Lillian looked up at the ceiling and tried her best not to scream out in pain. Djaq put her fingers inside the wound, the door swung open and Will entered carrying the wine Djaq had asked for, he handed it to Marian who lifted up Lillian's head and allowed her to drink a little, Lillian's head flopped back down onto the pillow and she moaned quietly as Djaq drew out her fingers from the wound. Robin couldn't bear it any longer he turned to one of the windows which opened out to the back of the house and looked out at the sky and tried to block out the horrible thoughts that were entering his head. Djaq delved into her pocket looking for a needle; she decided that stitching up the wound would be the best possible option. She could see no damage to internal organs and there was no sign of any internal bleeding.

"Djaq" she looked up from threading her needle "Is it bad?" Lillian asked, she swallowed before asking the question that no one wants to ask, hear or answer "Am I going to die?" she looked at the physician, outlaw and friend and got an honest response.

"No"

Marian smiled for the first time in what felt like years, her daughter was going to be ok, she gripped her hand and felt Lillian squeeze back.

"This needle is sharp and thick Lillian, it will hurt" Djaq warned her as she tied the end of the string into a knot.

Lillian nodded; she did not know what else to do. Will closed the door behind him as he left the room. Djaq swallowed one last time before piercing Lillian's skin in order to close the wound. Marian felt her daughters had tense before she let out a scream – or more of a loud gasp, she squeezed her hand as if it would make things better, it was the only way she thought it possible for her to comfort her daughter. Robin winced as he heard the scream and looked over his shoulder as to see his daughter biting her lip as Djaq stitched the wound up. Once again she dipped a cloth into water and cleansed the area; Robin smiled at the physician in thanks and left the room; now his daughter was safe he needed to come up with a plan to save his people. And if he managed to get revenge on Guy for what he had done then all the better.

Djaq let out a breath and almost smiled, pleased that she had managed to save Lillian, for a moment she thought it was too late, when she had first seen Lillian's wound her heart had skipped a beat and her stomach had flipped and it has taken all her strength to not let her face give away her worst fears. But it had turned out alright and she was glad.

"You will need to rest for the remainder of the day, stay in bed and try not to move" she almost grinned at the face Lillian pulled; she should have known that her orders would not have gone down well. With her parentage Lillian was not one to stay still, she was always happy to help in an outlaw plan or race against her father in the forest on horseback and she liked nothing more than to use her archery skills to outwit whatever opponent she was up against, and if she had no opponent then she would practice on the wooden pole in the garden. Lillian was not one to stop moving, staying still was something that she was not good at and did not like, so the prospect of being bed-ridden for the rest of the day was not one that pleased her.

Djaq cleared up her things and left the room and chuckled, Marian closed the door behind them and together they walked down the staircase, leaving Lillian by herself in her bed. She looked around and smiled; not even 20 minutes ago this room had been full of people and yet now here she was by herself. He smile turned into a yawn and she slowly shut her eyes; giving into her body's need for sleep and rest.

"We need a plan" came the familiar statement. Each of the outlaws looked at Robin expecting him to deliver orders about what each one of them needed to do, but the orders never came and for the first time in year's Robin admitted "I haven't got one". Allan smiled and then like the rest of the outlaws tried to think of some rough idea of a way to get the entire village of Locksley back to their rightful homes.

"While you get thinking I need to go and confront Guy" Robin announced. Marian looked up from her chair, and her mind stopped running through past methods of escape.

"Robin you can't, what are you going to do? Storm right up to him? And what? Robin you need to take time to calm down and think sensibly before you walk up to Guy and do something you will regret"

Robin almost smiled at his wife's sensibility, she was always the one who stopped him from doing his wild ideas, and honestly she was the only one who could control him, but this time he wanted revenge, and as much as he knew she hated it, he needed to do something to Guy to make him feel better and to bring his enemy down a peg or two.

"Marian I cannot let him get away with what he has done!"

"I know but if you want to teach him a lesson then shouting at him while you are in a temper won't help"

Robin looked into his wife's eyes, and Marian saw them soften as his anger left his body. Will stood up and the rest of the gang followed suit.

"We'll go back to camp and think of a plan" he declared.

"Will, really you can stay here for the evening" Robin said, he wanted to show his gratitude for all of his friends help.

"Thanks, but it's ok" Will said, keen to get back to the forest.

Djaq did not understand what Will's urgency was to get back to camp, but she trusted him that there was good reason behind it and so they left Locksley Manor and headed back to the forest they called home.


	8. Chapter 8

**I apologise for taking so long to update, I have been really busy, and have been getting my Merlin fic off the ground and I wrote a Robin one shot. a few days ago I replaced chapter seven with an improved version, it had A LOT of typos in it, just to let you know.**

**hope you enjoy this and please review!**

Chapter 8

Lillian woke up and stretched and regretted it, she tentatively lifted up the cover and pulled at her dress to see her scar. She grimaced looking at the line that stretched along her lower abdomen. She tilted her head to see the sky from her window and saw that it was approaching dusk. She slowly pushed herself up, biting her lip to stop herself from letting out a small scream of pain.

Marian nibbled the small piece of bread on her plate, she hadn't eaten since the accident but wasn't hungry enough to warrant cooking a meal. She looked up as she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Lillian!" she said, quickly getting up and striding across the room to her daughter "You should be in bed" she held out her hand and her daughter gratefully took it, managing the steps one step at a time.

"Really, I'm fine, my legs were going numb, and I needed to get up"

Robin strode through the room, almost oblivious to his wife an daughter and headed towards the door

"Robin of Locksley where on earth do you think you are going?" Marian asked.

He looked up at her with a sad look across his face, then he saw Lillian "What are you doing down here?"

"Yes, I'm feeling much better thank you" she said in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm going out"

"Robin, I thought we agreed that you wouldn't go to Guy" Marian felt stuck, standing at the bottom of the staircase holding her daughters petite hand. She wanted to ensure that she was safe but at the same time she wanted to run over and bar the door so Robin wouldn't leave.

"Why are you going to see Guy?" Lillian questioned, stepping down the final stair so she was level with her mother, she removed her hand from her grasp and took a tiny step towards her father.

"Because I cannot, and will not, let him get away with what he has done to you. One day when you are a mother you will understand"

He felt for his sword on his belt checking it was secure, Lillian noticed

"So you are going to stab him in return for what he did to me?"

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"

"That's hardly Robin Hood's thesis! If you go and hurt him that makes you just as bad as he is! You'll bring yourself down to his level."

Robin almost smiled at his daughter's passion, but wanted to cry and the look in her eyes; of desperation. Just like her mother, even though Guy had done her wrong she did not wish for him to be hurt, in a way she made a better 'Robin Hood' than he did.

"Please do not go"

Marian smiled at her daughter's sincerity and at Robin as he stepped back from the door and hugged his daughter, kissing the top of her head, he looked up at his wife and she too joined in the family hug.

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Will smiled nervously as he walked alongside Djaq. They were looking for honey in the forest.

"But we already have some…somewhere" Much had said when Will had declared that he was off with Djaq to go and search for some.

"No no Much, I distinctly remember missing it this morning when I wanted some on my toast" Alan had said, winking at Will.

For once Will was glad of Allan's ability to hold a straight face and lie flat out to people without giving himself away. And so Will and Djaq had gone to get some honey, walking hand in hand through the forest, Will suddenly stopped.

Djaq looked up at him, noting his nervousness. "Will, what's wrong?"

Will bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips. She freed her hand from their grasp and placed it on his soft cheek. Will broke away from the kissing looking at the floor and then up at Djaq.

"Djaq" he started, stopping to cough nervously "I have never been so happy as I have been when I am with you, you make me the luckiest man on this earth, and if you let me I will spend my life trying to make you feel the same way"

He took her left hand in his and dropped down onto his knee, producing a ring from his pocket.

"Djaq will you marry me?"

Djaq was a woman of short words, and so there was only one answer she could give him, and she felt a lump in her throat as she prepared herself to answer Will's proposal, she looked into his deep eyes, the eyes she had gazed into so many times before and she remembered their first kiss, when they confessed their love for one another, all the times they had shared. And then she thought about the answer she was about to give him, she swallowed.

And then opened her mouth to speak.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry that there's been a large gap in between chapters, I have been really busy with many different things, including my new Merlin fic, and I have been writing a doctor who rose one shot which has taken a lot of editing and therefore quite a bit of my time. I'm hoping to get into some kind of cycle with my fics, so everything should be more regular, so more frequent updates. I've got back into my Robin Hood world and so hopefully this will get back into full swing!**

**Anyway enjoy this chapter and PLEASE review.**

Chapter 9

"It shouldn't take this long to get honey, they should be back by now, we should start a search party" Much declared

"No!" Allan said jumping up. "No we should not, they haven't been gone that long"

"You're hiding something" Much said pointing the tip of his sword extremely close to Allan's face.

"Oi mate. That's dangerously close to my eye"

"Much put the sword down" John stated trying to restore some peace in this small camp.

"You're hiding something from us. I can tell. Spit it out" Much said, trying to sound authoritive.

"Mate, I can't say" Allan said grinning, relishing this moment.

"Allan, that's not fair!"

"Hey, what about all those times when Robin used to talk to you and keep things from us, he still does it know, you two go off and have private little chats"

"That's….different!"

"How? You keep quiet about your mate. I keep my best mate's secrets too, I promised him I'd keep my mouth closed, so I am!"

Much looked desperately at John for some kind of help.

"He's allowed to have secrets Much" John said "But if they cause an effect to the rest of the gang, then they should be shared." he looked at Allan.

"Aww, come on."

"Share. Or so help me Allan a Dale I'll….." Much struggled to come up with a good punishment, leaving his sentence hanging.

"Alright! But you had better promise that you won't say a thing" he said glaring at much "Not a word"

"I can keep a secret"

Allan smirked "Will was taking Djaq on a walk to propose to her"

"They're getting married?!?!" Much shrieked

"And now the whole forest knows!" Allan shook his head "This is exactly why people don't tell you things Much; you shout them out at the top of your voice"

"They're getting married?!?!" he repeated, in a whispered tone.

"That's better. Yes, and about time too if you ask me"

"I am happy" John stated, always a man of few words.

"Well she hasn't said yes yet" Much pointed out

"Always the one to notice the worst" Allan said "She'll say yes for sure, no doubt about it"

"Allan" John said, and Allan whipped around to face the older man "Are you ok? About this"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Allan shook his head slightly as if to dislodge some negative thought "My two best friends getting married, couldn't think of anything better"

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"Yes"

Will stared at her amazed.

"Yes, Will. I will marry you! I will be your wife" Djaq's face broke into a smile as her now fiancé slipped the ring onto her finger. She brought her hand up to her face and looked at the beautiful piece of jewellery he now possessed. She hadn't worn jewellery in years; not since she'd come to England. It felt right that this should be the first piece she wore here. It was a simple silver band with a large sapphire in the centre, encompassed between two minute diamonds. It was beautifully simple; perfect. She looked into Will's deep eyes and then leant up to kiss him.

Will felt the butterflies in his stomach die down as his lips met Djaq's. Sapphires for Saffiyah, she clearly adored the ring and he was over the moon. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor, spinning her around until he felt dizzy. Djaq laughed and smiled completely at ease and safe in his strong arms.

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Guy pushed open the large oak doors and grinned at Vaysey who was sitting as his desk, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment, no doubt some kind of speech for tomorrow's announcement of the rise in taxes.

He looked up to see Guy entered at noted the large smile across his face. "What are you smiling about Guy? Did you finally convince Marian to leave her one true love and come running back to you?"

He almost smiled as he watched Guy's face drop, clearly rubbing salt into an old wound, he went back to writing on his paper

"No I thought not, so why have you barged into my office grinning like a Cheshire cat?"

A smile returned to Guy's face, not as large as last time's but a marked improvement on the sullen face he had worn just a few seconds ago. "I have got the whole of Locksley village in the dungeons"

"You WHAT?"

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The outlaws drew in; making a closer circle, huddling to keep out of the cool air of the night. Much put down his empty plate and placed his hands in front of the fire trying to warm them up and watched as Djaq placed her head lightly on Will's shoulder and as Will almost instinctively placed his arm around her waist, drawing her even nearer to him.

Allan sighed quietly looking deep in to the fire; he had watched their romance blossom, seen them admit their love for each other, watch as their relationship had grown and flourished, he had said "yes" when Will had asked him to be his best man, offered advice to his best friend when he had been stuck as to the best way to propose. He thought he had got rid of those feelings, buried them long ago.

He thought he was over her, but tonight as he watched the happy couple, he felt empty and numb. and slowly all the feelings he had hidden so well over the last years resurfaced, he feared, with a sense of dread, that he was falling for her all over again. But this time she was too far gone and there was nothing he could do. In fact nothing he _wanted _to do, he was happy for them, of course he was, so why couldn't he stop imagine himself being the one with his arm around her waist and Will being the one staring solemnly across the fire?


	10. Chapter 10

**I hope you enjoy this chapter; this is the first double-figured chapter I've ever written so I thought it ought to be this fic that got that 'honour', being my first story. Thank you for reviews and the most recent subscription, I know this chapter has been a long time coming…sorry!**

**Please read and review; enjoy!**

Chapter 10

Vaysey skipped down the stairs in the dungeons and smiled widely; spreading his arms out wide. He was met with the Locksley villagers faces staring back at him, due to their large amount they were compact in the cells and had slept badly as a result. The morning had brought a small breakfast of stale bread and now Vaysey's cruel show.

"Why so glum?" he taunted, pulling a face and then cackling "Today" he announced in a big booming voice "is the days taxes rise! Good job then that you are all in here and won't have to pay them!"

Guy sighed quietly, fed up with the Sheriff's taunts; yes, he was glad that he had brought all these villagers here, yes he had brought Robin anger and upset, but Vaysey had not been completely thrilled with him. In fact he had declared that he wasn't quite sure whether they'd be enough rope for thirty hangings. The memory almost made Guy sick, the way Vaysey had cackled after he had spouted his little joke about rope and the way that he himself had laughed along with the sheriff made his stomach flip. He was no better than Vaysey; perhaps even worse.

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"Why do you not listen to me?" Djaq moaned as she arrived at Locksley Manor in the morning looking at her patient up and out of bed.

Lillian looked up from her breakfast; a small slice of bread was all she could manage but at least it was not stale. "I did listen…just didn't quite follow the commands"

Allan let out a laugh at that but was quickly silenced by Djaq's scowl. The physician lifted her palm to her patients head and felt for a fever, gently Lillian reached for her friend's hand and withdrew it from her forehead, drawing it down to her eye level and then looked up at Djaq, her mouth stretching into a smile.

Djaq had regretted placing her left hand on Lillian's head the moment she had done so, but switching hands quickly would have drawn attention to her and she didn't want that. She should have realised that Lillian would have noticed the cooler band on her finger; she had inherited too much from her parents, the combination of their characteristics was almost lethal. Then Djaq mentally laughed, Lillian; Lethal. The two just didn't go together, Lillian may be highly intuitive, feisty, witty and intelligent but she had inherited her mother's compassion and her father's strong love. Lillian would never intentionally hurt a fly; except perhaps the Sheriff, but even then she had gained her mother's temperament and acceptance, she was not as hot-headed as her father.

Everyone's eyes in the room were suddenly focused on Djaq's hand. She smiled at Will and then looked down at Lillian; "Would you mind being a flower-girl?" she smirked, letting out a little giggle.

Robin looked at Will next to him who was silently smiling to himself "You two are…"

"Yes!" Djaq exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear

Robin clapped Will on the back "Congratulations! This calls for a toast" he declared and Marian scampered off to find enough goblets and some wine

"You, missy, should go to bed. Too much excitement is bad for you, Lillian" Djaq teased

Lillian looked up at her and raised her eyebrows in such a way that reminded Djaq of Marian. She smiled as she was handed a goblet and raised it waiting for Robin to declare the toast

"To Will and Djaq, may they enjoy life as man and wife and live their days out together"

"To Will and Djaq!" everyone chorused, raising the goblets to their lips and wishing their friends many happy years.

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Much glanced to his side and saw Allan disguised as a guard patrolling a sidewalk of the Castle.

"And so taxes shall increase, and the penalty remains, if you do not pay taxes then you shall hang, as the village of Locksley will display tomorrow"

Will's hand dropped from his axe's handle, they had come in case the Sheriff had decided to coincide the announcement of increased taxes with the hangings; but the end of his speech showed he was intending on saving that for later, another day.

Robin tightened his grip around Marian's waist; they had been expected to attend the 'event'. He had however banned Lillian from coming.

"What? I'm not near death, I'm fine!" she had assured him when he had told her that she would not be coming with them to Nottingham Castle

"Lillian you are still weak and I do not think that it is a wise idea that you come with us"

"If he hangs them, then I want to be there to help! I care for them too, and you'll need more numbers if you wish to stand any chance of getting an entire village out of there alive"

"Lillian it is highly unlikely that he will hang them today"

"But it is a possibility"

"Yes" he had said eventually; he did not like lying to his daughter "It is an unlikely possibility but yes it is a possibility"

It had been at this point that Allan had interrupted; "Lillian, Vaysey's gonna make a big thing out of this, he'll put on a big show, the whole works and when he does you are going to help but until then you have to wait. Besides when he does you're going to have to go unnoticed, so if we can fool Guy into thinking he's really made a mess of you then no one will suspect a thing when you punch the living daylights out of them all!" he grinned and winked at Lillian and Marian rolled her eyes; Allan flirted with any woman he laid his eyes on. She coughed lightly to show Allan her irritation but she was happy nonetheless that he had managed to convince Lillian into staying at home.

Of course Robin had asked Little John to stay with Lillian; he knew his daughter too well to even consider leaving her home alone; she'd be out before they'd even left the village.

This is why when they all met at the back of the Tavern they were two members short.

"We have to find John!" Much cried, brandishing his sword and looking at the others for support. Allan just laughed.

"Allan A Dale this is _not_ a laughing matter!"

Marian smirked; in fact everyone had a smile on their face.

"Much, John is keeping Lillian company at home. Remember?" Marian said

"More like barricading the door!" Allan exclaimed.

"Right, of course. I knew that" Much said, trying to downplay the situation, splitting up they all went their separate ways, vowing to meet at Locksley Manor to discuss Allan's idea for a plan.

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Edward looked at his granddaughter standing next to him staring up at the stars in the sky. He remembered the first time he had brought her out here, like he had with Marian when she was a child. She craned her neck to gain a better glimpse of the twilight sky and the silver dots that covered it.

It had been quite some time since he had been able to lift back his head and gaze upon the sky like his granddaughter did, though she did not know it. He didn't want her to see how he had changed what he was becoming; an old man who could not see the world the same way a young girl could.

Marian glanced out of the window at her father and daughter. She was aware that her father was getting older by the day, and she knew that deep down Lillian understood that Edward was frailer than ever. She felt Robin's hands on her hips and breath on her neck and she twisted her face to see his, she leant back into him, melting into his arms as he wrapped them around her. And she smiled, their people may be in jail, their cottages empty, their 'village' completely deserted, poverty striking up and down the country, the king at war but for this short blissful moment the three people closest to her were in some kind of peace, in Knighton under a deep blue sky.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Will felt the string pull taught and the arrow slot into place. He took a deep breath, as Robin had taught him to do, and released the arrow.

"Great shot mate" Allan said as he skipped out from his hiding place behind an Oak tree. He picked up pace as he moved down the hill to his best mate, he broke into a light run as he came down the last part of the hill and jumped over a large branch which blocked his path.

Will felt the slap on his back as Allan met up with him, they both started at the rabbit a fair few feet ahead of them, Will turned to look at Allan next to him and saw the same twinkle in his eye that he knew was in his own. Without having to say a word the best friends shot off, racing each other to see who would reach the rabbit first.

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Lillian looked at the wooden pole before her. She sighed, bending her knees and picking up her beloved bow from the ground, straightening her legs she took her stance and placed the arrow across the bow, holding it in place with her fingers, she lifted the longbow up before her and closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain.

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Robin groaned as he looked in on Lillian's empty room, he called out her name but was not surprised when he heard no reply. He had less than an hour before Marian returned from the market, he knew full well that she would not be pleased if she returned home and their daughter was not inside, tucked up in bed.

He inwardly cursed himself for staying in bed that extra hour and not looking after Lillian like he was supposed to. He jumped down the stairs and remembered games he and Marian used to play as young children.

"HA! Five steps!" Robin cried, particularly pleased with himself.

Marian crossed her arms, clearly annoyed that her best friend had managed to increase his lead against her. She let out a little huff and pretended to be even more irritated than she already was.

Robin's mother came in from the garden, a basket of herbs in her hands and looked on at the two young children.

"Robin, have I not told you before to not play that game?" she smiled lovingly at Marian, to her she was almost like the daughter she had never had.

"But its fun" Robin half-whined

"Your legs are longer than Marian's, it may be fun but it's not fair" Always one to point out equality or fairness, if anyone wanted an honest opinion they came to Lady Locksley.

A small smile spread over Marian's face. Robin looked down at the 6 year-old, 3 years his junior and sighed. "Fine, we'll stop playing the game" he grabbed Marian's hand and they charged up the stairs together.

Robin smiled looking on at the stairs and then shook his head, reminding himself of his task and set off to find Lillian.

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Placing the carrots she had just bought in her basket Marian walked down the stairs towards her waiting horse.

"Marian..."

She would recognise that voice anywhere, but it was not one that she wanted to hear. She turned around once she had reached her horse and looked Guy in the face.

"Yes?"

"I...I was, wondering..."

"That's new" she cut in coldly

Guy scowled slightly "I was wondering how Lillian was"

"She's fine" she replied abruptly, then remembering that they were keeping up the act that Lillian was still hurt added "She's still in bed and sore, but she'll survive" she thought she saw the smallest of smiles on Guy's lips, so added for good measure "Providing she doesn't catch a fever or an infection of the wound"

Marian got the impression that this wasn't information that was heading to Vaysey, just for Guy's own piece of mind. Thinking Guy had finished Marian hooked her left foot into the stirrup and swung herself into the saddle, ensuring that her basket of food did not drop. Just as she gathered the reins into her hands she felt a light touch on her leg. She looked down to see Guy; clearly he had not said all he had wanted to.

"Marian, I am sorry" he whispered

"Thank you" was all she could mutter, she did not what had overcome her, Guy was hardly a friend, yet perhaps it was because he was not close and she knew how he hid his emotions that his small apology meant more. She dug her heels into her horse and sped off back to Locksley.

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Djaq jumped up as Will and Allan entered camp. There were three rabbits slung around Will's neck and he held onto his bow with his right hand and had his left hand around Allan's waist.

"What happened" the Saracen asked

Will let out a laugh

"Mate, it's not funny" Allan said as Will dropped him onto his bed

"I think he's sprained his ankle" Will chuckled and Djaq bent down and removed Allan's boot.

"Oh, Djaq take the other one off would you, my feet aren't half killing me" Allan put his bottom lip forward and winked at Djaq.

He was hit for his request. Will chuckled once more as Allan moaned in pain; saying various curse words in a sentence that made no sense.

Will sat down on the floor and took up an arrow he had been previously working on.

"I'd just shot a rabbit and we were racing to get it, I got there first, and deciding that the race was not over Allan decided that he would continue the run back to camp." Will looked over at his friend who was wincing in pain from Djaq's inspections.

"He seemed to forget the large branch that he had jumped over before so ran straight into it!" Will let out another chuckle "And so he made me carry him the whole way home!"

"Oi! It wasn't like that!" Allan retorted "I could have walked if I had wanted to!"

Allan folded his arms in an attempt to look angry as the rest of the camp burst out into laughter.

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"Lillian, your mother is going to kill me"

"No she won't" she argued back, she winced and Robin's grip around his daughter's waist tightened as he helped her hobble up the stairs

"You know if you would let me carry you rather than leaning on me this would be a lot easier and less painful"

"And then I wouldn't be testing myself and trying to heal"

"Is that what you call it? Testing yourself would have been going on a light walk around the manor. Not firing arrows!"

"I wanted to see if I could still shoot its good exercise!"

Robin smirked "Because tearing open your stitch is good exercise"

"Good practice for sewing"

"Not the kind you should be practising"

"Do not start on embroidery"

Robin pushed the door open and without warning bent down and swung Lillian up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laughed at her scowl as she tucked herself into bed.

"Smile for your mother" he said as he heard the front door open

Lillian grinned back "If you want to pretend this happened then shouldn't you of hidden all the evidence?"

Robin raised his eyebrows questioningly as he heard Marian mount the stairs

"My bow and arrows" Lillian whispered and Robin's look of confusion turned into shock and Lillian giggled

"Forgotten how to be an outlaw"

Marian entered Lillian's bedroom caught up in her thoughts so she did not notice the look between father and daughter, nor the fact that Lillian was in a dress rather than her nightgown or the fact that there was no glass of water or any sign of food by the bedside; tasks which she had asked Robin to do before she had left for Nottingham Market.

She smiled at the two people closest to her. Robin could tell that something was wrong. He winked at Lillian and then wheeled Marian out for the room by her elbow.

"Marian, what is wrong?"

Marian shook her head as if she could get something out of her head by doing so

"Nothing, just something someone said at Market"

"You're worrying me. Marian, who said what?"

"It was Guy…."

"Guy!? What did he do?"

Marian smiled "He apologised"

Robin shook his head "He must have had a motive" he lowered his head to the floor, trying to work out what his enemy was up to. He felt Marian's cool hand on his cheek and he looked up into her sky-blue eyes.

"That's the thing, love, he was truly sorry." she grinned

Robin covered Marian's hand with his own

"Marian, that's not possible."

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"Suppose you were telling a poor Lord that his village was empty and could now legally be taken over by my dear self, how would you write the news in a letter?"

Vaysey stroked the feathered quill, and looked up at his lieutenant.

"Guy…" No response "Guy, Guy, Guy….GUY!"

His head snapped up and he looked over at his 'master'. "Yes, sire?"

"I was just commenting on how pretty your hair looked today" Vaysey teased, swinging his legs down from his desk and marching over to Guy. He looked up into his grey eyes and stared at him, squinting slightly.

"Dreaming of Marian?"

Guy's face sunk and his dark mood resurfaced, covering up the dreamy-like mood he had previously been wearing.

"Hit the nail on the head have I?" Vaysey taunted

"Not quite."

"Ah, but close enough. Guy for God's sake get over the woman she's been married to Robin Red-breast for years."

"I know" Guy hissed through his teeth.

"Oh get out" Vaysey sighed, waving the tall, dark-haired man away "I have a delightful letter to write to our dear friend Locksley"

"About?"

"You weren't listening before, you missed it. Now Locksley's populace is non-existent and will be dead before long, I can take over his land!"

Guy looked puzzled "By which law?"

"My law Guy! You fool!"

Guy stormed out of the room and into the fresh air, once again letting Vaysey get away with his malicious plans, once again being a pawn in his great game of chess. And once again doing nothing about it.


	12. Chapter 12

**I realise there has been a large gap between updates, and i apologise. I've been extremly busy , but finding a few rare moments of spare time I've written this chpater. Possibly my favourite so far, now the plot wagon has really started to roll along. I know i say this often but i really do want to get this moving faster and longer and more frequent updates posted.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and please do review, especially if you haven't done so before.**

Chapter 12

"Even for a girl that's a ridiculous thing to say" Allan was rewarded with three murderous glares from the women in the room.

"Oi, I'm sorry but Lillian come on, when has Vaysey ever listened to a polite request?"

"There's a first for everything" she countered

"Not here"

"And you have a better plan Allan A Dale?"

"Yes, thank you for asking" he grinned, clearing enjoying the limelight.

"Allan, you talked us through a plan last time and we all agreed that dressing up as women wasn't the best idea" Will said

The gang sat in Locksley Manor, around the large dining table, relaxing after the feast Marian had cooked up and discussing the best course of action to rescue the Locksley villagers from hanging the next day. The hanging had been ordered to be this day but the Sheriff had sent guards around to tell "His dear Friend Robin" that it had been pushed back till the following day due to shortage of rope. Robin had seen it as a sick joke but it had given them more time to come up with a plan of action.

"And you have a better plan Will Scarlett?" Allan said, mimicking Lillian's previous question at him.

"Well I was thinking we should go back to basics" Will looked at Robin "Like our very first plans, simple but effective; worked every time"

Djaq smiled at her fiancé, he was so quiet yet held so many good thoughts in his head. She wondered how many times he had let others take centre stage when he knew he had a better suggestion, how many times had he let Allan unveil his eccentric plan when he knew he had a better, simpler idea. She loved him for this reason, because he was a good man who would happily put others before himself. She could imagine him as a father, teaching their children to walk and talk, showing them how to use a bow or make a fire. She could see them old and grey and still together and still he would put her needs before his, and she would put his before hers. A perfect match.

Robin liked Will's ideas; back to the good old days; he almost laughed. He could trust Will to come up with a sensible, effective plan. It would be a doddle and they knew that it worked from past experience. A few guards knocked unconscious for a while wouldn't hurt anyone and he knew how much Allan liked 'dress-up'. The only thing he feared was Lillian's involvement, she was just recovering from her injury from Guy, and Robin couldn't – and wouldn't – let her get hurt again. But she was determined – too much like him for her own good – to stand by and let them save the day alone. Besides, she'd already missed one trip to Nottingham under the assumption she'd actually be saving the Locksley villagers when it came round to it.

And so, with a small ounce of reluctance, when the outlaws raised their glasses to the village of Locksley and their hopeful survival tomorrow Robin allowed Lillian to join in with the toast for she would be joining in tomorrow.

* * *

Under his façade Allan was as nervous as hell when the sun rose and he knew that, once again, he would be putting his life on the line to save Nottinghamshire's people. He sat on the log and watched as the sunlight began to trickle through the leaves, marking patches on the forest floor with its light. And once again he was left in the shade.

* * *

Guy walked briskly along one of the many castle corridors and looked out onto the courtyard to see men tying a number of nooses for this morning's execution. His stomach turned and suddenly the thought of the morning's breakfast wasn't as appetizing. Even though he had no intention of eating Guy continued on his way to the Great Hall.

* * *

John hummed a simple tune to himself, whilst eating the morning's breakfast. He missed Alice. He missed his son. It seemed everyone had found their someone apart from him; or rather he had found his but lost her.

He chuckled to himself remembering the numerous times Robin would come searching into camp with his 6 year-old daughter announcing that they had lost something and thought it may be here. More often than not they had found what they came looking for, Robin would grin as his daughter would giggle with glee, her cheeks turning rosy and her soft, brown curls bobbing up and down.

But John had not simply misplaced a precious item; he had let his wife leave with his son, though it broke his heart he had believed it to be for the best. But watching his friends have a child, and soon, he supposed Will and Djaq too, was not easy.

He would not let another father be torn away from his child, today he would help save the village of Locksley and help keep families tied together.

* * *

Marian peeked through the crack in the door. A small length of vision, she couldn't see the whole picture but it was enough. Lillian was in front of the looking glass, holding up her top and slowly stroking the scar that ran along her lower abdomen. Almost subconsciously Marian's hand fell to her stomach and rested where she knew her scar was. An unwanted shared experience. Something she had wanted to protect her daughter from, a pain she hadn't wanted her child to feel.

And now as she stood there she was risking her all over again in an attempt to save Locksley. It would not be the first time Lillian had been part of a rescue mission, or a gang 'outing' but nonetheless Marian's stomach churned and her heart felt as if it was beating at twice the speed it should be.

* * *

Tapping his wooden spoon against the side of the pot Much was fairly content. Putting the day's events at the back of his mind he merely concentrated on what was before him, cooking breakfast for his fellow outlaws. Taking things once step at a time seemed like a wise idea, now he had to cook eggs, let what had to happen later happen then.

* * *

Djaq wasn't scared. Anxious perhaps but not scared. True, this was a mission bigger than their usual 'ambush' but it wasn't too big, besides the gang usually always defied the rules of numbers.

Today they would save the people of Locksley, tomorrow she would make deliveries and help sick villagers and somewhere in the future she would get married to her beloved Will. Perhaps that was what she was anxious about; she turned this thought over as she checked her medical chest – preparing for the worst outcome – anxious that today she might lose her future, now she had one to look forward to.

* * *

Lillian knew her parents were scared. She also knew that she was capable of doing this and wasn't alone. While Guy thought she was still injured and lying in bed she would be fighting against him in a bid to save her people. She smiled at the thought as she tightened the belt around her middle and slotted her sword into its place; she placed arrows in her quiver and tested the string of her longbow.

She turned once more to her looking glass and saw what others saw; a warrior.

The Nightwatchman.

* * *

Will smiled at his fiancé as each outlaw grabbed their sword and weapons. He didn't want to take his eyes off her for a moment, scared about what may happen the moment he turned his back, but the plan needed him to remain head-strong and confident and he needed to behave rationally and focus on the task before him.

Saving an entire village was no easy task but Will also wanted to protect his fiancé at all times. Mounting their horses the couple looked at each other intently and rode side by side as they set off to Locksley Manor.

* * *

Robin heard the knock on the door as his daughter came down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She could have been Marian, but his wife was standing next to him, gripping his hand tightly and he knew that she was as scared as him, if not more so at the thought of Lillian going off to fight.

He was no happier with the thought of Lillian going of to fight as he was when he had uncovered Marian as the Nightwatchman all those years ago. It seemed that there was never a time when somebody he loved wasn't at risk.

Robin let go of Marian's hand and opened the door to see Allan grinning.

They both knew how this was going to go. Lillian pulled her hood over her head and smiled at her parents as she left the house.

No one spoke but the silence spoke volumes.

Now Lillian had been taken care of Robin and Marian had to prepare for their role of the day, which in comparison to others was easier. Though some may say watching those closest to you risk their lives while you stand still is harder.

* * *

"Ah Guy, come to have breakfast before the big day?" Vaysey laughed as his lieutenant entered the hall.

"No, I've already eaten" The lie rolled easily off of Guy's tongue and the sheriff thought nothing of it.

"You know, I'm rather tired of the usual hangings, you need to think of something more exciting for next time" Vaysey said, mindlessly chewing a chicken bone.

Guy almost retched. A guard entered and Vaysey spat out the bone.

"My lord the execution is ready"

"Ah, nice. Ropes tied tightly I do hope" he cackled away to himself as spectators began to fill in the courtyard and in the dungeons the villagers readied themselves for death.

* * *

The guard fell to the floor and Allan laughed.

Lillian had left Locksley Manor with him, the others had split up. John and Djaq had headed to the castle via the Main entrance and Much and Will had taken the East and West gates respectively.

Riding on the back of Allan's horse wasn't exactly Lillian's idea of fun, but it was for a good cause, and they needed to use as few a horses as possible to remain inconspicuous. Getting through the gate had been a doddle. The Guards were pre-occupied, and some looked a little drunk despite the fact it was only midday. Silently Lillian had clambered down from the stallion and Allan had tied it up by an ally's shop. Lillian had made her way through a back alley to get up to the castle that way while Allan had walked in the opposite direction.

It was while walking along a back castle corridor he had bumped into the guard and knocked him out. Allan hurriedly dragged him to the side and patted his head as he walked off wearing his uniform.

* * *

John stood outside the portcullis, being a noticeable figure he needed to remain out of view and so he stood 'browsing' the small number of market stalls, while keeping an eye on the courtyard happenings.

* * *

After Will had paid another ally for their part in the rescue mission he had headed into the castle to secure his place in the day's events. He entered the castle through a different route and took his place along his allocated corridor over looking the courtyard.

He felt sick looking at the nooses swinging slightly in the breeze, trying to distract himself he looked across the courtyard to the corridor opposite him and saw a guard marching up and down the space. He squinted trying to focus on the guards face and smiled when the guard turned to face him and gave him a thumbs up. Allan was clearly enjoying himself. But if Allan could see and recognise him from over there he needed to hide himself better so Will stepped back, hiding in the shadows.

* * *

Djaq kept her eyes on the door, waiting for the Sheriff to come out. She was stood at the back of the courtyard, at the back of the ever growing crowd, her eyes flickered up to the two corridors that lined either side of the courtyard and recognised Allan on her right dressed up as a guard. She could not see Will but after catching a thumbs up from Allan she presumed Will was on the receiving end of the signal and was therefore safe on her left.

She saw the crowd separate and realised that Robin and Marian must have entered; she moved along the back wall and saw the familiar couple walk further up towards the stairs. If timing was going accordingly to plan then Lillian should have made her way down the turret and should be along the same corridor as Will now. She looked up for any sign of movement.

* * *

Lillian cursed as she lent against the corridor wall. She'd made it down the turret and just needed to take a left onto the corridor Will was patrolling but a couple of Guards had seen her. She heard the guards feet pick up pace and she counted their steps waiting for the right moment to strike. As the echoes got louder and louder she took a deep breath and stepped forward landing a punch on the side of an unfortunate guard's head. His mate turned round and she carefully kicked his feet from under him, he landed on his back with a cry, Lillian lent down and punched him squarely across the face silencing him.

She dragged them as quickly as possible down the rarely-used corridor and then walked out onto the main one over looking the courtyard. She began to walk briskly; she needed to reach the end of the walkway by the time the Sheriff walked out and began his taunting. She kept one eye looking out at the crowd, searching it to look for Much who was supposed to be 'mingling' in, her vision was repeatedly severed by the columns that ran along the side of the corridor but she spotted his hat and then saw her parents stood side by side at the bottom of the steps. The door swung open and Vaysey strode out followed closely behind Guy.

"Good day my good people of Nottingham" he cackled to himself as the whole crowd turned to face him.

It was at this point Lillian fell into a certain Will Scarlett.

"Sorry" she murmured, and he chuckled slightly.

"Always keep one eye on what's before you" he whispered. Now Lillian had this space under control Will could make his way further down the corridor so he was nearer the steps at the end and therefore – conveniently – Djaq.

"Today marks a special occasion. The largest hanging to date! Let this be an example to you all – no one can get away with not paying their taxes or consorting with their Lord to get charity. Taxes are in place for a purpose, you have to pay them or you'll end up like this lot" Vaysey waved theatrically to his right and a set of Guards brought out the whole of Locksley village.

Marian held Robin's hand tight. She knew it was killing him watching his people being paraded around and not actually fighting to save them. But for Will's plan to work they needed to keep up the appearance of being 'noble' and therefore couldn't join the rest of the gang in the fight.

Robin felt the look of his people. They had expected him to save them, not stand and watch their execution. With their hands tied before them they looked at the Lord of their Manor with disgust. However some looked at him with pity and forgiveness; a few looked at Robin like they knew he had a plan. One even winked at him and it took a lot of strength to not wink back.

Allan used the distraction of the villager's entrance to make his way down from the corridor and onto the steps. Being in uniform made the whole process easier, Guy turned to see where the movement came from but being greeted with a sea of black meant he thought nothing of it.

"Unfortunately" Vaysey continued "We don't have space to hang you all at once, so some of you will get to watch the show before taking part in it"

Robin glared at Vaysey and squeezed Marian's hand relieving some of his tension.

"Ow" she whispered and the hint of a smile played on his lips.

"Sorry"

"Bring forth the first set" Vaysey grinned as two guards led two villagers each towards the gallows.

"Oh and did I forget to mention, Robin, now you're village is extinct and you a Lord of nothing I can claim it! Ha!" he laughed as if he had cracked the funniest joke and the waved at the guards to push the villagers onto the appropriate stools.

Guy watched on as the villagers stepped up onto the awaiting stools. Lillian reached behind her to her quiver slowly, ensuring she didn't move to quickly and catch someone's eye. She loaded the longbow and drew back the string.

And released.

Everything sprung into action. Allan took the flying arrow as his signal and marched across the stairs in two quick strides and held the Sheriff at knife point. Much, who had moved closer to the front as Vaysey had been speaking, knocked out a number of guards in quick succession and pointed the villagers in the direction of Will.

Will ran down the stairs from the corridor and took the villagers showing them to John, on the other side of the portcullis. Djaq had run up to the gallows and had easily taken out the two helpless guards standing there, the four villagers followed her down and out to John.

Robin and Marian stayed completely still. They had to keep up the appearance of being noble and completely unknowing about the attack.

Guy also stayed still but for a different reason. The arrow had pinned the shoulder of his jacket to the large oak door, and he was completely stuck. To many this seemed like a missed shot, for Lillian it was completely on target.

As soon as she had released the arrow she had run, keeping to the shadows and left from the way she came.

She needed to retrieve Allan's horse from the ally's shop he had left it by and then get one of the carts, providing the Locksley's villagers escape route.

Much followed the last of the villagers out from the portcullis. There were three carts dotted around the castle grounds and the horses that they had ridden on to get here needed to be harnessed up and attached to the cart.

Much ran to the front of the last group of villagers and led them over to the East gate where he had entered from, sure enough he found Jenny, a young ally of the outlaws holding the reins to his horse attached to a cart they had salvaged.

"All aboard!" he yelled.

The villagers were all too happy to oblige. Jumping onto the cart they set off and Much threw a number of silver coins to Jenny before he rode off.

Similar events were happening at the West gate and the main entrance.

Will and John were at the West gate loading up another cart and at the main entrance Lillian and Djaq.

Realising that everyone else had gone Allan let go off Vaysey and ran as quickly as he could, the remains of the crowd parted, allowing him to leave easily. As he left he threw his knife, which had previously been at Vaysey's throat at the portcullis's rope and jumped under as it descended. Robin smiled gently at his friend mimicking his previous trick, perhaps not as gracefully but in typical Allan style.

Vaysey was not happy. Not happy at all. His show had been left in tatters, and though there was no doubt at all that it was all the work of the outlaws, with Robin and Marian stood before him and in the view of nobles and villagers, he had no way of placing the blame on them.

With little more to do he flashed a devilish grin and stormed off into his quarters.

Realising that the 'show' was over the crowd dispersed and left the courtyard, a guard released Guy from the oak door and guards began to awaken from their unconsciousness. Robin and Marian stood together in front of the gallows and Robin looked up at the unused nooses.

Though they had saved their village today there was no guarantee that they were going to be safe. For as long as Vaysey was in power the whole of Nottingham was in danger, but there were a number of people who would risk their lives for the lives of others. Robin was glad to call these people his friends.

* * *

Marian piled the dishes up, and carried them out towards the kitchen. After visiting each of the cottages in Locksley and providing the families with food for an evening meal, the gang had dined at Locksley Manor, happy with their day's work.

Once the outlaws had left, not after eating every crumb on their plates, the task of washing-up had fallen into Marian's hands. Not that she minded at all. Robin carried a number of goblets in his hands and followed after her. It was at this point the door knocked. Robin half grunted, it couldn't be any villagers, they were all satisfied and happy in their homes once more. If the outlaws wanted to come in then they would have come through the back entrance.

Which left Vaysey or Guy.

Robin retraced his steps and put the goblets back down on the table and strolled over to the door making sure his sword was not too far from him.

And then he opened the door.

"Alice?"

* * *

She was a very beautiful silhouette. Standing right in front of the light it was impossible to see any of her features, but as she moved around the room he saw more of her face and her figure. Her curls swung ever so slightly as she walked and her hips swayed gently from side to side. A smile played on her rosy lips and her skin looked flawless.

Lillian turned back to her parents bed and lifted the last pile of clean washing and walked back over to the chest underneath the window, bending down she placed the shirts carefully on the top and closed the lid slowly, ensuring it didn't make too greater sound. She stood straight and for the first time gazed out of the window. It was now she noticed him. She thought she saw him wink but could have been mistaken, she smiled and then walked across to her mother's beside table and blew out the candle.

The room turned black but he still grinned away.

It was the first time the couple's eyes met but it certainly wouldn't be the last.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thankyou for your reviews and subscriptions last chapter. I was smiling for a long time. Please keep them coming, it's really helpful and important to me to hear if you're enjoying this, your critiscm and opinions.**

Chapter 13

Even though she had tested herself yesterday in saving Locksley Lillian felt well, albeit her wound was a little sore from the exercise. As she walked down the stairs she smiled seeing her father; he was sitting in a chair by the empty fireplace. She knew he was thinking, for he bit his bottom lip and his left hand was pressed against his forehead, his wedding ring catching the light.

She quietly sat herself in the chair opposite his and waited for him to acknowledge her. She had to wait a while. After waiting patiently he looked up at her and smiled gently, Lillian grinned back and straightened her back in the wooden chair.

The two chairs had been here for as long as she could remember, they had grown old with age. Will kept promising Robin he could make him a new couple exactly the same but Robin refused. He liked the way they had been passed down from generation to generation; they had been his parents, a gift on their wedding day and he had inherited them with the estate. Robin remembered sitting in them with Marian when they were just married, a couple sitting before the warmth of the fire.

Lillian could remember sitting on her father's lap in the chair as a toddler, intently watching the firewood crackle and simmer, she remembered the first time she had sat in one of the large chairs by herself, it had seemed so big back then and herself so little, she almost felt lost in the wood grain. She used to sit cross-legged but as she grew taller her knees no longer fitted in the seat and she had to give in to sitting 'properly' with her legs neatly crossed; her feet resting on the ground.

Robin missed the days when Lillian would struggle to clamber up into the seat, when she would grin triumphantly when she managed it, or when her feet would swing aimlessly, her legs too short to rest on the ground. Now he looked at her and saw a young woman all grown up with her feet firmly placed on the floor and her dress draping down the side of her legs; one resting upon the other. He could tell something was on her mind; she had that look in her eyes, very similar to the one he often wore in his when he had a cheeky statement to make or a devilish plan.

"I was wondering" she began her blue eyes shining "Who was bold enough to knock at the door so late last night"

Robin's face sunk slightly, Lillian noticed the change.

"Just an old family friend" Robin dismissed, standing up.

"Who?"

"No one"

"Everybody is somebody, have I met them before?"

"No. Just, drop it Lillian."

Lillian could tell her father was anxious, perhaps even angry, but she didn't want to leave the subject hanging. She wanted to know who the young male was staring at her last night.

Marian came in the door carrying a basket of herbs from the garden. She could sense the tense atmosphere and took in the situation before her. Robin stood at the bottom of the stairs his fist lent against the bottom banister, Lillian sat in one of the old chairs in front of the fire, her body facing the now empty chair, and her head turned facing her father.

"Robin?" Marian spoke gently and her husband turned to face her. He sighed and turned back round to their daughter.

"Her name is Alice. She came to ask for our hospitality" He looked at Marian and she nodded, as if giving her consent. Lillian noticed the small exchange.

"What?" She questioned.

"Alice didn't come alone" Robin walked back over and sat in his chair once again. Marian followed him, and stood by his side; always by his side.

"She came with her son"

"Ah, the young man outside the house last night"

This new information brought Robin out of his state of fury.

"You spoke with him?"

"No, we just exchanged a glance last night through your bedroom window"

Robin did not know whether he should pursue this or finish with his previous explanation.

"Nothing happened" she added, trying to reassure her worried father.

"Her husband recently passed away and left with little income she wanted to be back home. She originally lived in Locksley but left many years ago"

"So why are you so angry?" Lillian said, she didn't understand her father's anger.

"Her son goes by the name of James, but that is his middle name, we knew him as John"

Lillian felt as if she was missing something, as if Robin was trying to place an emphasis on his name, neither names were uncommon. It was a traditional custom for families to name their children after royalty, Lillian knew many Richard's and John's, there were many in Locksley as well as a large number of Robert's and Robin's.

"James isn't her dead husband's son. He's her previous husband's; John."

Robin looked at Lillian's puzzled face; he was trying to tell her gently, slowly. Marian and he had never seen a reason before to talk about John's lost family, it wasn't a topic that arose in conversation and the large man wasn't one for openly discussing his feelings.

"Her previous husband was Little John. James is his son. He doesn't know that they've come back and she's asked me not to tell him"

The pieces of the puzzle seemed to slot into place and Lillian stared at the whole picture before her.

"But John is our friend, we cannot lie to him"

"Exactly, which is why I am so confused as to what to do. Whether I have made the right decision. I promised her I would remain silent, but also explained my problem. I've given her a three day delay, if she doesn't tell him in that space of time, I will."

"But John will know when he comes for deliveries and the like."

"We have to hide it for now and hope that he forgives us"

* * *

"They say he is only a few years older than us"

Lillian listened to her best friend Sophia as they wandered around Locksley village picking flowers. The sun was shining down, the first hot day in the year and all the villagers were making the most of the warm weather. Young children ran around, the boys fighting with wooden sticks for swords the girls making little daisy chains to wear around their heads.

Older couples sat on stools smiling at the children's play, fathers scooped worn out children up and carried them indoors while their mothers tended to grazed elbows and knees. Lillian saw her mother leave on her mare with a basket of food for her grandfather, the winters were hard for him but the summers and their blistering heat were no easier. This middle passage of warm spring was the nicest time, the flowers had sprouted, their colours showing off and everyone could enjoy the mild breeze than ran through, ensuring nobody got too hot.

"Somebody's been sneaking around" Lillian giggled

"Well they don't call my mother they village mouth for nothing!" Sophia laughed tucking a sweet pea behind Lillian's ear.

Lillian raised her hand to cover her eyes from the sun and tried to identify the figure walking towards her and her friend. She noted who it was and turned to see Sophia's cheeks turn rosy with a blush.

"Ladies" James mocked a little bow and Sophia and Lillian returned the mock gesture with little curtsies. "I was wondering if there were any rules as to which trees were used for woodcutting."

"Oh no, Will chops them and then we use the wood store at the back of Locksley Manor" Sophia explained to the new villager.

"Ah, I see. In which case I wonder if you can show me the way"

Sophia was quite ready to grab James's hand and half drag him to the small store hut but her mother was never one for timing and so as her name rang out across the village she had to leave and see what her mother so urgently wanted.

James instead turned to Sophia's friend, the girl at the window. He had heard she was Lillian; Robin and Marian's daughter. A lady to this estate and a friend of the outlaws, a champion of the poor but also a recently injured comrade. She looked as good in daylight as she did in twilight, the sun shone through her chestnut curls; she looked as if she wore a halo, leaving her face slightly in the shadow. Her blue eyes were piercing and her small button nose was lightly dusted with small freckles. Her lips were full and rosy and one of her just off-white teeth bit down on her bottom lip, leaving an indentation, almost piercing the skin. A lilac sweetpea sat behind her ear, its petals peeking out from the top of her earlobe. She had been a gorgeous mystery girl at the window but before him in daylight stood a beautiful young woman in her element.

She sighed ever so softly, her lips curling into a small grin. "I'll show you the way"

She started off at a fairly quick pace, James was only to happy to follow her, quickly matching her steps, mesmerized by the way her brown curls bounced off her back as she walked with a spring in her step.

Lillian could feel his eyes gazing at her, but they felt safe, complimentary rather than spying or intruding. She felt comfortable being in his gaze rather than pestered or stared at. She was no stranger to being stared at by men, the object of their glances, stares, analytical looks, the inspiration for many a wolf whistle or sweet talk but here she felt different. She felt normal, happy, as if this was a daily occurrence that she shouldn't fear. Not that it felt ordinary or boring, she felt special – loved.

They walked in silence but it wasn't awkward it was peaceful and tranquil. The various village noises seemed to blow over their heads, bounce off some sort of bubble encapsulating the couple. The children's screams and their play fights; the sound of wood on wood, faded away, the various screams and commands, the noise of a series of footsteps thundering after each other just seemed to float into the blue cloudy sky.

Though they walked in peace the small journey to the wood hut was not without its events, carefully noted by each other, though each noticed different things and read differently into each experience. A couple of stolen glances, which James smirked at while Lillian blushed and on one occasion Lillian's left hand was brushed by James's right, sending sparks up her nerves and leaving her tingling all over. He felt the gentle simmer on his hand as if his hand had just touched fire. The first time their bodies had touched each other, an unforgettable moment and one that would be remembered in times to come.

As they neared the small wooden hut their pace slowed. Lillian pushed the small door open and waved James inside, showing him the secret store of firewood.

Logs were piled upon logs, it was nowhere near empty. Will made sure it was always at least half full; the carpenter took pride in his treasure trove of wood and loved to watch families pick up their logs with glee and happiness. However he was all too aware that with one swipe of the Sheriff's hand the whole hut could be razed to the ground but he tried to not dwell on such things, as long as the hut was full then the villager were more than content and in turn that made Will a happy man.

James picked up the logs closest to his feet, not wishing to appear picky. He gathered them into his strong arms and smiled at Lillian who waited at the door.

"Do I get this good service every time?" he asked cheekily

"I wouldn't bargain on it" came the reply.

Had he been concentrating James would have consciously remembered that his arms were full and his hands preoccupied and therefore wouldn't have lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he left the darker hut and re entered the sunny outdoors. As it was his mind was elsewhere and so he lifted up his hand to cover his eyes from the bright sun and in doing so dropped his logs on the ground.

They made quite a sound, only two remained in his other arm, the other three fell to the grass with a large 'bonk'. Lillian automatically jumped back slightly, protecting her toes but then lent down to retrieve the fallen wood. In doing so her lilac sweet pea fell from behind her ear and landed on the floor. She hardly felt it go, being so light but James saw the flower tumble down and reached over for it while Lillian stood straight, his three logs in her arms.

He paused slightly and then took a silent small step forward and tucked the flower behind her ear with his free left hand, Lillian stood very still and apart from the odd bird's song the only thing she could hear was their breathing, his then hers, his then hers. Filling the others gap, providing oxygen for each other's intake. An interlocking breathing pattern; in sync but ever so slightly off time.

He left his hand hovering over her face for a moment longer than necessary, staring into her sky blue eyes and she in turn stared into the depths of his stormy greys. Silently taking the wood from her arms he left her, walking slowly back to his cottage and subconsciously Lillian lifted her right hand to touch wear his left had previously been.

* * *

Alice watched her son walk back from Locksley Manor; she stood by the wooden window of her cottage watching her son walk home with his arms full of firewood.

She was back in Locksley, where she had grown up, married, had her child but for some reason she didn't feel at home. Something wasn't quite right, felt misplaced. Alice supposed it was because she wasn't here in the best circumstances. She felt bad for making Robin lie to John and she felt bad for lying too but at the same time she was angry with John. She felt that in some ways it was his fault she was in this mess.

Of course it hadn't been easy but though she never could forget John she didn't want her son having to live in his shadow, they had decided it would be easier for him to believe that his new home had always been his home and this family was his family.

It had all just been a dream. A strange dream. That's what they'd said. He hadn't been that young and naive, but persistent convincing resulted in his acceptance but a bitter sweet acceptance it was, there were times when she had wished she hadn't but the more days she lived the lie the further he fell and the harder it was to turn back.

She could tell him, he could walk through that door she could sit him down and tell him and maybe he would nod and tell her that he would forgive her that he understood. But what if he ran? What if he left her, a lonely woman by the empty fire and never returned. She couldn't lose him now, she would remain silent. She would continue to lie to keep it from him. But at one point she had to tell him, Robin couldn't cover for her forever, he said he wouldn't and he was always true to his word. But perhaps it would be better if he told James and she didn't, she couldn't imagine how she could tell him that he'd been living a lie, that she been feeding that lie to him. On the other hand she had to tell him herself, he should hear it from her rather than someone else.

Now she was back in Locksley it was bound to come out anyway, she remembered how the villagers helped her when John left to become an outlaw, they helped raise her son and keep their heads above water. They would recognise him and the truth would roll off their tongues. She should tell him now, as he came in with the wood she'd asked for. She should do a lot of things, she shouldn't have done many things but the fact remained that she still couldn't bring herself to destroy her son. She couldn't hurt him anymore.

But what if, in keeping the truth from him, she was doing him more harm that good?

So when James came into his new home, his mother's old one, he put the logs by the fireplace and smiled at his mother who looked on at him with a smile and remained silent.

And so another chance to say the truth passed Alice by and once again she didn't say a word.

* * *

The three women sat around Locksley Manor's table, a small piece of parchment was in Djaq's hand a quill laid on the table.

"I want it to be simple" she decided "Not a big fuss, just simple"

Marian nodded, her dark curls bouncing. "What about where you'll hold it? In the forest or Locksley church?"

They were discussing arrangements for the forthcoming wedding, having waited years for his proposal Djaq was wasting no time in getting the ceremony prepared.

She couldn't wait to give her life to the man she loved and she had often dreamt of the day she would do so. All she wanted was family and friends, those who were close to Will and her. She wanted it to be traditional and a mix of their two cultures. She wanted to wear a very plain simple dress, something similar to something she would have worn back in Acre; she would have Marian and Lillian as her bridesmaids, again dressed simply. She wanted to decorate the location with flowers but above all she just wanted Will, she wanted to slip the ring on his finger and be his wife.

At the end of the day of festivity all that mattered was their love. Djaq didn't want a big party covering that up.

"At first I thought the forest but Locksley is Will's home and I think he would prefer to have it there"

"Then we're decided; Locksley Church it is"

Once again the church in the village would be the location for the happiest day of a couple's life. Robin's parents had been married there and their parents, Robin and Marian had given their lives to each other at the altar and now so would Will and Djaq. Djaq couldn't think of anything more fitting.


	14. Chapter 14

**This is quite a short chapter, but I quite liked the sentence it ends with. I promise next chpater willl be longer.**

**A thanks to all reviews last chapter and subscriptions. please keep them coming else I don't know if you like this.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Lillian pulled out the chair and lay down the plate of food; she poured wine into the empty goblet and took a seat opposite the place she had just laid out. Her grandfather smiled at her, her company pleased him no end, she had been a gorgeous baby and grown into a beautiful young woman, he was so proud of her and to him she symbolised a chance taken between Robin and Marian, a piece of hope, the grandchild he thought he may never have.

Though he worried about her, like he had done with Marian when she joined the outlaws in their escapades, and he wondered whether sometimes she pushed herself to far, like a child trying to catch up with their friends. She wondered whether her parentage had moulded her before she was ready to be fixed, if she had grown up too fast without being able to enjoy a carefree childhood. But then, he supposed, few children nowadays lived a carefree life. He knew he wouldn't get the chance to see things put right, though each day he hoped that this would be the day King Richard came home, he sincerely wished that it would be in Lillian's lifetime. For if it wasn't he began to doubt it could ever happen.

"You're watching me" he stated and Lillian smiled "To much like your mother for your own good" he mumbled.

"Is that a grumble I hear?"

Edward smiled at his granddaughter and she happily returned the favour.

"You seem very happy today. What is making you smile so much?"

"No one, grandfather"

"Ha!" The old man almost choked on his food with his victory laugh "So it is someone, not something…"

Lillian inwardly cursed; her grandfather was good she'd give him that.

"You're sneaky" she stated, leaving the subject hanging.

"You're mother told me about Alice Little and her son"

"My mother told me not to eat with my mouth full!" Lillian retorted, carefully avoiding the subject of Alice and James.

Edward made a point of emphasising his chewing before speaking again.

"He won't be happy when he finds out"

"We're hoping he'll forgive us and see the position we were put in"

"It most certainly wasn't an easy one." he paused and thought for a moment "You can go now, my dear, I can get up the stairs myself still"

"I'd rather wait and help you"

"Lillian it is a nice day, I'm sure there are plenty of other things you would rather be spending you're time doing. Spending time watching an old man chew is not one of them. I am fine. Tell your mother to stop fussing"

"Ok" Lillian agreed reluctantly "I put a goblet of water by your bedside if you get thirsty and the food is all in that basket" she said and pointed to the wicker basket on the end of the table "And mother said that she would be round tomorrow, whether you like it or not"

Lillian got up and walked over to her frail grandfather, wrapping her arms around his thin frame she planted a kiss on his almost bald head and brushed the few remaining white, wispy hairs in one direction.

She lingered at the door for a while before closing it and mounting her mare which waited patiently outside.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is Sophia there?" Lillian asked little Luke at the door to her best friend's cottage. He gave her a toothy grin and toddle off inside shouting out his sister's name.

Lillian smiled as Sophia came to the door, a bucket in hand; Sophia returned the smile and linked arms with Lillian, dragging her off to the well.

"Tell me everything"

Lillian looked at her friend puzzled "Everything? That would take days if not weeks"

"No! Everything about Mr James"

"Oh" Lillian shrugged "I showed him to the wood store, he went in picked up a few logs and went home"

"Why do I think you are hiding the truth?"

"Because you're imagination is too big"

"No, you have that look in your eyes…"

"Sophia! Nothing happened!"

"But you wish it had, I see it. You're in love with him"

"I am not!" Lillian retorted.

However her retort was far from the truth, though she may not be in love with him she certainly felt something towards him. In her room, lying on her desk was a box containing the lilac sweetpea that James had tucked behind her ear and that night she had dreamed of little more than his grey stormy eyes.

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Robin was worried. He feared that John would not forgive them and he could understand why. Reversing their positions Robin would not be happy with John if he kept the one piece of hope from him, everyone knew that John secretly wished that one day Alice would return to him and as the years passed by that hope dwindled.

Robin wondered whether three days would make a difference, it was three days not three weeks or months and one way or another he would find out at the end of those three days. But it was the principal; that he had lied to John not the number of days.

Alice may be Locksley bred and born but Robin felt some sort of hatred towards her for the position she had put him in. It wasn't a feeling he was proud or one he wished to feel but one he felt nonetheless. He couldn't go to the camp as he didn't dare look John in the eye and lie to him. He was torn between his friend's loyalties and what he considered to be the right thing. He had made a promise to Alice and her son and he couldn't go back on that now. What would that make him? But at the same time what did this lie make him? He was lying to his friend, that didn't make him any better.

Marian walked through the manor and saw Robin standing by the window, his hand clenched against the window sill and his gaze over looking their village. She walked over to him and stood behind him wrapping her hands around his waist. She put her cheek to his back and stood there waiting for him to speak.

The couple stood there for a moment, Robin's anger began to subside, and his knuckles became less white and his grip on the window sill lessened. Marian remained moulded to his back but sensing that her husband's anger was melting away she turned her head and rested her chin in between his shoulder blades.

"I'm a bad person Marian"

She almost laughed "Robin you cannot call yourself a bad person. Vaysey is a bad person, Prince John; he is a bad person. You fight the evil; you are not one of them. Perhaps we made a mistake with Alice but no one can doubt your heart was in the right place, perhaps your actions we just slightly wrong"

Robin let go of the window sill. He turned around in Marian's arms so he could see her face; he smiled at her and then lent down to his her.

Robin had no idea what he would do without her, they were a team and without each other the other couldn't continue. Like a machine missing a cog Robin couldn't function with Marian. Even though he knew John felt the same way about Alice, Robin knew that he would forgive him. Like he would forgive John if the roles were reversed, though it would take time, he would have Marian and Lillian back, and that's all that would matter.


	15. Chapter 15

**As promised here is the next longer chapter.**

**Please review with your thoughts or constructive critiscm, especially if you haven't done so already. I really value feedback.**

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Chapter 15

Lillian and Sophia sat outside Sophia's cottage making small daisy chains for the young girls of Locksley. The sun beat down and there were few clouds in the sky. After coming back from the well the best friends had been somewhat ambushed by the group of young girls, they'd held up their failing attempts at daisy chains and asked the older girls to help. So the circle of seven females sat outside the cottage on a hot spring day and pieced together crowns of daisies.

James couldn't see her face but he could see her Lillian's back. Her chestnut hair flowed down her back and her body shook every now and then with laughter. He saw her left arm extend and pass a length of daises along to the small child next to her. Her head turned to her right as the girl sitting on the other side of her tugged on her sleeve and pointed in his direction. He quietly cursed, and bent down to the floor as Lillian turned her head to see where the child was directing her gaze. He stayed crouched on the floor for a few seconds, and thinking enough time had passed stood up again and looked out of the window. To see Lillian staring back at him. He screamed slightly and jumped back; he breathed out composing himself and then walked forward to the young woman who was now grinning at his reaction.

"Scared?" she taunted

"That wasn't a very nice thing to do."

She smiled even more "Watching young girls make daisy chains isn't a nice thing to do either. You've got them all scared."

"I do apologise, I wasn't watching them, just a particular someone else."

The colour rose slightly in Lillian's cheeks and she silently cursed James for leaving her speechless and embarrassed. He grinned sensing his victory. He lent forward so their faces were mere inches apart and smiled at the girl with the flushed cheeks in front of him, he reached forward and took the daisy from behind Lillian's ear and twirled it between his thumb and forefinger.

She took a sharp intake of breath as his hand neared her face, the moment was similar to the one behind Locksley Manor the previous day and she knew that this daisy would be joining the sweetpea in her special box on her desk. She watched James intently twirling the daisy and grinned as a marvellous plan unfolded in her mind.

"Ah, so it is the daisies you're interested in"

* * *

Djaq looked at the starved children in front of her; they snatched the loaves of bread from her hands and tore into them, barely savouring the taste of one mouthful before taking another.

Will stood beside her handing bundles of vegetables out to the parents of the hungry children. Rather than eating them as soon as they were placed in their hands they walked to their homes with them, knowing that they needed to keep them safe and prolong their use as they didn't know when next they would receive more food.

The villagers of Nettlestone were beyond hungry, it was no secret that the Sheriff was trying to wipe their village out. The village was situated next to a large field and the Sheriff had long been hoping to create a large building in the space. But for as long as the outlaws were in business the villagers would not starve and so Vaysey's plan had been on hold for several years.

Djaq also provided a medical centre; she set up in a cottage on the outskirts of the village and listened to the villagers' illnesses, complaints and worries. She provided cures and comfort and the villagers trusted her with their lives. On more than occasion she had indeed saved a life and her job gave her a great sense of satisfaction, of course in running her medical drop-in centre her ingredients often ran low and she would often spend whole mornings walking around Sherwood forest looking for berries, leaves and herbs that she could mix together to form some treatment, and invariably Will would be by her side. Though he didn't quite appreciate the constant search for a particular leaf in the same way Djaq did he loved seeing the smile on her face once she had found what she had been searching for.

Djaq had taught him what to look for and after several years he had begun to understand the qualities and purposes of each ingredient and their uses. When she had first allowed him to join her in her searches he had simply followed her around like a shadow or presented her with many dried up leaves that had simply fallen off their branches, now he knew what to look for and how to best find it.

At first Djaq had been apprehensive about him joining her, she quite enjoyed the peaceful searches and they were blessed moments were she could be by herself and have time to think without the constant noise of camp. Sometimes she would spend hours just walking and would return to camp with no ingredients but with a clear head and a calm mind. She would occasionally just forget that she was an outlaw and simply walk because she could, leaving all her worries and the camp entrance and pretend to be someone else. At times she would cry, by herself she could let out her emotions and let her guard fall when there weren't people watching her. She felt the constant pressure of being an outlaw and she put pressure on herself; she felt the need to prove herself to the gang, that she was a strong outlaw and not just a feeble woman.

But she shouldn't have worried about Will, she felt guilty for doubting him. He was a calm influence and spoke only when she wished, he just fitted in, it was like he had always been there and she liked his presence. It was as if they were two pieces of a puzzle, she was fine on her own as she knew nothing else but together they were something bigger and better.

* * *

"We were made to look ridiculous."

"I'm most apologetic, my lord."

"Oh la-di-da-di-dah" Vaysey slammed his goblet down on the oak table and droplets of the deep red wine spilled across its surface "Guy what's happened, hmm? Do you want to sit down and talk?"

He waved to the empty chair before him and smiled at his lieutenant, Guy, taken aback by his gesture, moved towards the chair.

"Wrong move Guy!" Vaysey shouted standing up, screeching his chair on the floor in the process. "You are weak. Useless. Pathetic." the Sheriff spat each word out and Guy looked to the floor.

Guy felt useless, weak and pathetic. He also felt angry and determined, he knew Vaysey wanted greater power from Prince John and in turn Guy had expected a greater status by now, he had sacrificed everything on this job and the rewards were nowhere to be seen. He had lost his chance of redemption; he had lost Marian to Robin and watched them play 'Happy Families' each day and it sickened him. He had put aside his feelings and solely concentrated on the work before him but no matter how hard he worked, his plans were either foiled or unaccredited.

Guy forced himself to believe that each day he was getting closer to a higher position, perhaps even the Sheriff status or one of the Prince's most trusted personnel. Anything better than this dump of a job, this waste of time.

But what Guy really wanted – though he would not admit it to himself – was what Robin had.

* * *

James sat in between Lillian and a small girl – half his height – called Aimee. His turned to his right and looked at Lillian, her fingers expertly weaving a daisy chain, she looked up from her work and looked at the young man, a smile appeared on her face and she handed him a small pile of daisies. She put down her chain and the small child on the other side of her picked it up and continued from where she had left off.

James was not happy; he felt silly and was highly embarrassed. No doubt all things Lillian had hoped for, he thought he had won their little battle at his window but she always seemed to have a trick up her sleeve

"Ah, so it is the daisies you're interested in" she had said, he had looked up from her flower he had been twirling between his thumb and finger and saw her mischievous grin.

Then he had panicked. Then she had opened his door, taken his hand and walked him over to the circle of daisy girls and announced that he would join them. The circle moved out to allow him enough space and she had pulled him down next to her, all the little girls faces lit up and they began to giggle between themselves.

Now he sat next to her with a dozen odd white flowers in his open palms and Lillian sitting next to him smiling at him.

"Put them on the floor James" she said softly and he obediently dropped the daisies onto the green grass before him. "Pick two" she continued and without giving it any thought he picked the two on the top of the little daisy mound.

"Good now pierce a hole in the stem and thread the other stem through it" he looked at her, his teeth clenched together and a slight blush on his cheeks.

She smiled and gently pulled the daisies out of his grasp, "Look" she almost whispered, and with such ease pierced a small slit in the first daisy's stem with her thumb nail, and then she slotted the next daisy into it and gently pulled it through.

He watched her hands avidly, they were petite and looked soft yet he knew they were worked hard. Her fingers were long and thin without looking bony and they weren't as white as other girls he had seen, they were gently tanned from being in the sun, whereas other girl's were porcelain white from staying indoors and sewing and being a 'proper' lady. Lillian was a people's lady, she loved her land and the people and in turn he loved that.

She rested the start of the chain in her palm and offered it to him to take. Gingerly he accepted her little token and smiled slightly at her. Their eyes met and then remembering they were in company looked away.

* * *

James walked beside Lillian as they neared the Manor. He resisted the urge and temptation to hold her hand, but settled to intently watching it swing gently as she walked.

On his head rested a crown of daisies, his pathetic attempt had been corrected by a couple of giggling girls, who had made him kneel so they could place their master-piece on top of his brown-haired head. They had gently patted him and then had screamed in delight as he had lifted them up, one in each arm, and swung them around. Of course after seeing the other two have so much fun all the other little daisy girls wanted to be swung around. Sophia and Lillian had stood beside each other watching him do this, smiling.

Sophia could see how happy Lillian was, there were few times she let her guard down and James was having a profound effect on her, Sophia smiled at her best friend, knowing that she was savouring every moment she spent with this young man. What she didn't know was that Lillian was trying to curb her feelings, fight them back. She didn't know the situation Lillian was in, or the fact that James was an outlaw's son. Or that this was the second day of Alice's three day delay and tomorrow the secret would be out one way or another.

Lillian secretly wanted each day to be like this and she couldn't explain why, she didn't understand the feelings herself. But she knew that nothing could stay the same forever, at some point thing's have to change and they would tomorrow and she felt helpless, a feeling she rarely let herself feel. Tomorrow James would know about his parentage and she hadn't a clue how he would react. These warm spring days, picking flowers and walking to Locksley Manor couldn't last forever; in fact tomorrow they might abruptly stop.

Now, walking besides James to her home she felt sad, upset and a small sense of dread rose inside. When they reached the door, she gently pushed it open and walked over the threshold, she turned back to face James and smiled at him and he smiled back, slowly he lifted off his crown of daisies and placed it over her head, it was a bit large for head and he grinned at the imperfection; it slipped across her forehead and nearly drooped into her eyes. She smiled.

"Queen of the daisies" he whispered and made a small bow before walking to his new home.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thankyou for your reviews and subscriptions, please keep them coming, else I don't know what you think of this. I really do hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Please leave a review, especially if you haven't reviewed before, size doesn't matter and conscructive critiscm is very welcome.**

**Thanks. Here is the next chapter, my favourite so far.**

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Chapter 16

The small stalks swayed gently in the breeze. The green shoots had begun to grow and their green colouring would soon told golden with sun and good weather, ripe in time for the harvest. Lillian sat in this field of almost gold looking down at the village of Locksley; her home.

Various women were by the well, laughing and gossiping while fetching a bucket of water, small children ran around, relishing in a few extra moments of freedom before they were called in for dinner. A small girl screamed with glee as her friend caught her and they fell down to the ground, rolling on the floor, her ash blonde hair getting tangled in amongst the green grass. Lillian recognised Sophia's father enter the village carrying a rabbit he had evidently just caught and waving it as if it were made of gold, an almighty prize to parade around. He tossed the dead animal to his wife as she opened the door. She tutted at him, scolding him for his carelessness before spotting her daughter rolling around on the grass with her young male friend; she looked at her husband and nodded in their middle child's direction and he walked over to her and took her inside.

The young boy now without a playmate stood up, and realising he was all alone then spotted his mother and ran over to her, grabbing her leg, she smiled down at her son and excused herself from her conversation. Carrying her bucket in one hand and guiding her son's back with the other she made her way back to her cottage for the night.

Light spilled out of each home's window. The sun was setting behind the manor, casting a small glow over the village and the large manor house appeared to be a dark silhouette from where Lillian was sitting. She stretched her legs out, wriggling her toes within her boots and gently crushing a few more stalks in the process. She lay back and watched as the sky turned from a blue, to a pink and then a golden yellow, within a few hours it would be twilight and she would be several miles away. She did not relish the thought.

Being in her thoughts she did not hear the soft, but slightly heavy footsteps walk up the hill but she became aware of the figure when it stood over her blocking her light. She looked up into the eyes of James. She pushed herself up so her back was straight and he took her gesture to mean she was willing to talk. He plopped himself down next to her with little grace or elegance and softly cursed as several stalks prickled against his skin. Lillian couldn't help but grin and he turned his eyes to his right to look at her smiling.

"You look thoughtful" he stated "A lone figure sitting on a hill, as the sun sets, looking down at her land" he described, waving his hands around trying to sound like a poet or a storyteller "Very… poignant"

"I needed to think. My father used to take me here as a child, now I come alone, we had picnics and practised archery over there on that tree." She pointed at a small tree, to her right.

"I'm surprised it's still standing." James said softly and Lillian smiled.

She waved over to a small shrub of white flowers to their left "He came through here when he returned from the crusades. He used to come here himself when he left the outlaws and had regained his lands, I think he needed to be by himself sometimes" She turned her face from looking straight at the manor to look James in the eyes as she spoke "It must be hard, returning to something you lost, something that has been taken away from you and then to come back."

James shrugged slightly "He is a good Lord of the Manor."

Lillian sighed; he had missed her point.

Once again she looked forward at her home but she could feel his gaze on her, his eyes burning her skin, making her feel hot and slightly flustered. His grey eyes watched her almost flawless skin, her saw her jaw tighten slightly, and her throat move as she swallowed slowly and gently. He watched as her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked now and then and her piercing blue eyes looked at her beloved land yet still noticed him in her peripheral vision.

"Lillian" his voiced cracked as her said her name

"James" she said in unison with him.

She smiled, turning to face him.

"Ladies first" he said nodding his head in her direction

"I'm not one for protocol"

James smiled slightly and looked down at the stalks and put his hands among them, as if he could stroke them. Lillian sensed his nervousness

"Lillian, I think that… I think I'm --"

"There you are"

The couple looked up to see how the new voice belonged to. Lillian saw Alice as she walked up the final steps of the hill.

"I've been looking for you for quite some time now" she said but Lillian knew that they were easily seen from where they were seated, just few people looked up here, but they were perfectly positioned to be seen from the cottage Alice occupied. She had probably seen them in conversation and run at the first sign of danger.

"Your dinner's on the table, don't want it getting cold"

James sighed slightly trying to express his disappointment. He looked at his mother to ask for privacy, she simply turned around, as if she was enjoying the view. He stood up and then on second thoughts knelt forward, in front of Lillian.

"Can we continue this conversation after?"

Lillian looked upset, she sighed "I will not be here later"

He didn't ask why, though part of Lillian wished he had

"Well then promise me we'll continue this conversation at a later date"

"I hardly see the point" Lillian said looking down at the ground, James resisted the urge to take her face in his hands and look into her eyes. Her sky blue eyes that calmed his stormy greys.

"Promise" He insisted

"I promise" Lillian whispered, looking up at him.

James winked at her and stood straight and began to walk down the hill, realising his mother wasn't following him he turned to her "Don't want dinner getting cold" he mimicked with a smile.

She smiled gently at her son "Coming up the hill tired me, I'll be down in a moment" James nodded and ran down the hill to his house and the dinner that waited him.

Alice turned around sharply once her son had begun to descend the hill.

"Did you tell him?" she asked, too harshly.

Lillian still stared out ahead "No, I didn't but tomorrow your little secret will be out" she looked up at the woman "And nothing will be the same again"

Alice nodded as if resigned to the fact, and then she too walked down the hill.

Lillian switched her gaze to see James walking across from the foot of the hill to his cottage.

Lillian didn't think the sight of a retreating back had ever pained her more.

* * *

Robin turned as the door opened and his daughter walked inside. She looked preoccupied, as if something of great importance was on her mind. She didn't seem to be watching where she was going, more moving out of habit, her blue eyes simply stared in front of her, but were really else where.

He cleared his throat slightly and when she didn't look up he called her "Lillian?"

She shook her head out of thoughts and focused on her parents who stood to her left.

"Are you ready?" Robin asked, his worry for her clearly displayed on his face.

She nodded "I'll just get my cloak" and took the stairs two at a time.

Robin turned to Marian, his concern still showing, looking to her for some sort of answer, if such a thing existed. She smiled at her husband knowing how worried he was for their daughter.

"I think" she said holding her Robin's hand "That Lillian was quite… friendly with James. Now we have to tell him it upsets her."

Robin eyes widen, presented with this new information, Marian squeezed his hand, out of reassurance but also to stop her husband doing something hasty that later he would regret. She cupped his face with her other hand and looked into his eyes.

"Robin, she is just upset at what we have to do now. Please focus on the task ahead of us"

* * *

John stared at his friends. "They're here?" he said softly, trying to comprehend what Robin had just told him.

Robin nodded gravely "My friend I am sorry. We should have told you before; I hope that you can forgive us in times to come"

John shook his head "Nonsense Robin, I forgive you now"

Robin smiled gently at the large man in front of him "Thank you, we appreciate it"

"So Alice and little Little John are in Locksley" Will asked

Robin nodded "Yes, but he is now known as James"

"I'm not being funny but he weren't that little when we left them, surely he has some idea"

Robin looked from Allan to his daughter, as if she may hold the key to the answer, she knew James best now but she was silent and remained encompassed in her thoughts. It was Marian who spoke next.

"Feed a child a lie for long enough and they will take it as the truth"

The outlaws didn't need to nod to show that they understood what Marian had just said, they all knew that it was true. Indeed England's people were fed lies daily as the truth.

"Are you going to tell James too?" Will asked, wondering about the poor child's fate.

"If Alice hasn't then tomorrow morning I shall." Robin nodded, having no idea how he was even going to begin to tell the young man that he was living a lie.

* * *

Lillian took little satisfaction from the many arrows thudding the wooden pole, right on target.

She pulled the string taught and let another arrow go.

"Nice shot."

Lillian swung around to see who had been spying on her. She smiled at James as he came to lean against the wooden pole she had been shooting against.

"It's true what the villagers say; you're a great archer, you feed them, give them your charity. Shame they don't know you're a liar."

Lillian sighed slightly and she put her bow in front of her, acting as some support.

"She told you." it wasn't a question, it was a true statement.

"You're both liars!" James exclaimed, angry tears began to sting in his eyes.

Lillian shook her head "No. I didn't lie, I hid the truth."

"It's the same thing!"

"No, lying would be giving you a false set of facts and making you believe them, hiding the truth is neither telling you a lie or the truth."

"Oh so that makes it better then?"

James was angry and upset, but his fear and rage scared Lillian. She had never seen him like this before.

"I didn't say that."

"But it's what you implied."

"Have you given a thought to what your mother did? And why she did it?" Now Lillian too was angry and upset "Because she loves you!"

"No, this isn't love, this is a lie and you" he said waving his left arm at her, while still leaning against the pole "Are just as bad as her!"

"My family made a promise to your mother and when we make promises we don't break them."

James simply shook his head and pushed himself off the pole and stormed past Lillian, whose eyes now let go of the tears they had been holding in. She let go of her bow and it fell to the ground, she stifled her sobbing and then coming over in rage, took a step forward and slammed her palm against the pole where James, just moments ago, had been standing.

What she didn't know and wouldn't find out till much later was that James had stopped at the side of the manor and had turned around; his cheeks too stained with tears, and had watched her.

He saw Robin leave the manor and walk over to his daughter, who now clung to the pole and wrap his arms around her shaking body. He watched her turn around in his arms and bury her face in his chest and let go of her tears and sobs. He saw her arms cling to her father's shirt and he watched as Robin's lips came down and planted a loving kiss on top of her brown curls.

He watched knowing he had caused this and wishing that he was the one she clung to for support, care and love. Above all he wished that they could go back to the night before, the dusk on the hill, the almost golden field. Where they had sat side by side looking over their home; their land. Two figures staring into the setting sun completely caught up in their shared moment. Very poignant.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks for your reviews and subscriptions last chapter.**

**I hope you enjoy this next one and please leave a review to tell me what you think, espcecially if you haven't done so yet or are a new reader.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Lillian opened the door to see Alice staring back at her; fuming.

"Where is my son?"

Her tone was not in the least bit gracious or polite, she didn't yell or shout, it was more of a snarled question but behind it Lillian saw a hurt mother, an upset parent worried about their child. Lillian saw some hope.

"I don't know" she replied "I haven't seen him since yesterday." Lillian kept her voice calm and level, she didn't want to let go of her emotions in front of Alice, she didn't want anyone to know how she felt.

"He said he was going to see you yesterday, I went to the market to give him some space he muttered something about liars, you and John his father" Alice looked expectantly at Lillian as if she could somehow solve this puzzle of a problem.

"He came to me yesterday morning, you'd told him…then he left." Lillian replied

Alice wiped the back of her hand across her forehead and let out a small sigh, small tears began to line the rims of her eyes.

"I thought he'd just been out to get air, to relieve tension, I went to bed late last night after waiting for him, I thought he'd be back by the morning. He's not though, he's not here!"

Lillian looked at this helpless woman who had got herself into a mess, caught herself in her own web of lies. Missing children weren't a new problem, many villagers scampered off on a new 'adventure' or got lost in the forest and the Locksley villagers always found them in the end. They never went too far. But James was not a child; he was angry young man who was hurt and upset. A man who no longer truly knew who he was and as a result no one quite knew what he would do or could do.

"What was the very last thing he said to you?" Lillian asked Alice, trying to approach this in a sensible, reasonable way.

"I already said, he was fuming, really angry and he was muttering on about being liars and his life, you" she said waving her hand at the young girl in front of her "and his father John."

Lillian tried to sift through this information and find some key something that she could grasp onto and use. Her mind held onto Alice's last words.

"John?" Lillian sighed. She knew where he would be.

Alice nodded as if she understood, realising what Lillian did. She grabbed Lillian's hand.

"You have to take me to the camp!"

Lillian shook her head "No Alice I can't. You can't know its whereabouts and I don't think John is ready to see you. Besides James doesn't know where it is either it's unlikely he's found it."

Alice nodded and without saying anything let go of Lillian's hand and took herself home. Lillian knew that this was Alice's way of saying that this was where she would be if Lillian found him. But Lillian knew that even if she did find him he wouldn't want to go back to Alice.

She closed the door with a slight bang and turned around to see Robin and Marian come down the stairs.

"What's going on Lillian?" Robin asked softly.

"That fool of a boy has gone off!"

Robin and Marian realised instantly who Lillian was speaking of.

"He thinks he can be outlaw! He's gone and left Alice and walked blindly into the forest to look for John."

Robin sighed but he also smiled inside, Lillian reminded him so much of Marian when she was angry or upset, her little mannerisms, they way she would wave her arms around or gesture with her hands, the tone of her voice.

Robin knew that Lillian wanted to find James and make sure he was safe but at the same time did not want to confront him, so instead he offered to go and look for the young lad. He grabbed his quiver full of arrows, his strong Saracen recurved bow and a short sword; he had no idea what state James may be in or what he may be carrying. Having known him for a little time Robin had no knowledge of his weaponry skills or ability. Lillian watched as her father left the house to search for John's son, Alice's boy, a Locksley villager and now possibly a self conflicted outlaw.

* * *

It was very late when Robin re entered the manor.

Alice had come early in the morning and Robin had been out searching since, Sherwood Forest was not a small place and by himself Robin seemed like a needle in a haystack. Trying to find a young man who didn't know the forest himself seemed like a near impossible task. Robin had come back to the manor for lunch and to take food and water with him when he ventured further out into the depths of the forest.

He had been careful not to stray too close to the campsite, he didn't want John unnecessarily upset or worried and he didn't know how the others would react to the prospect of James joining them. On the other hand there was the slim chance that James had found the campsite and was now sitting there with Robin's friends, but the campsite was of course cleverly disguised and secluded and Robin thought it highly unlikely the young lad had found his way there.

He had eventually found him by a fallen tree, he wasn't in the heart of the forest, and in fact he wasn't far off the campsite but had evidently been walking for a while, most likely going round in circles. Robin saw James sat upon the fallen trunk and smiled slightly at him, then taking a little sprint he ran at the tree and jumped up, landing a few feet from James.

The pair sat on the trunk in silence for a while, Robin waited for James to speak first and James knew that's what the older man wanted. After minutes in peaceful silence James cleared his throat.

"I was angry" he stated and he didn't need to turn his face to see that Robin was nodding his head understandably. "I was cross and upset with my mother."

"So you ran."

"Yes, my mother lied to me but my father hasn't and I did remember him, I should have clung onto those memories."

"But your mother told you to forget them and you did, you were an obedient child, James that's not a crime."

"No but deceiving and lying is a crime."

"And turning your back on her is punishment? If you want to hurt her then I can tell you that you are succeeding but you'll end up hurting yourself in the process."

James turned to face Robin and his wise words.

"I don't want to go back; I want to be an outlaw."

"Ok, but walking blindly into the forest isn't going to get you what you want." Robin said, quoting Lillian's previous outburst. "And being an outlaw is so much more, this wouldn't just be a chance for you to bond with your father, this is fighting, for justice, for fairness, for England. You would be daily risking your life for this country and it's people, you need to understand what you would be doing before you walk into it. If all you want is to spend time with John then you can do that living in Locksley. The lads need to know you're dedicated to our cause before they'll let you join."

James looked at Robin and in that second fully made up his mind.

"I want to be an outlaw." he said repeating his previous statement but with this time more conviction and determination.

"People have lost their lives by making that decision, know that James. First the rest of the gang will have to accept you."

"I know" James said, an acceptance of both statements "But they'll all be free one day won't they?"

Robin nodded "Yes, of course, the King may have pardoned me but they should be pardoned and freed too."

"Why hasn't he let them go then?"

Robin paused for a moment before asking the question "War can sometimes cloud your judgement, he has been out there for many years with few and sparse breaks but he will return, and Vaysey cannot have much more time left in him and when he falls I will give each of them a Lordship, each of them with have a manor and a home to go to."

James nodded, as if all his questions had been answered and he was ready to enter this dangerous 'profession'.

"Can you show me to the camp then?"

Robin grinned "Yes."

And so he had shown James to the outlaw's camp. The gang looked up to see Robin approach with a young lad in tow.

Robin looked at them "Lads, this is James and he wants to be an outlaw"

He looked right at John but he saw the old man had already realised. Robin and the rest of the gang moved further back, towards the edge of the camp to give the long lost father and son some space. Before long they had moved off and gone together for a much needed walk. Much then began to cook a celebratory dinner in honour of the new member and his somewhat strange return.

When the outlaws had finished their 'rabbit' stew Robin turned to James and took a piece of cord out of his pocket, he held up the tag and James smiled taking it. He fingered the design, running his fingers over the carved pattern remembering the previous lost one.

"You will have to come back to Locksley soon and tell the ones who love you there of your decision." Robin said

James nodded, it had been one of the parts of his side of the deal in joining, John and him had talked long and hard of it during their long walk. And James knew that when Robin referred to those who loved him in Locksley he didn't just mean Alice, his mother.

So Robin had come back to the manor late, he heard voices upstairs and peeked through the gap of the ajar door to Lillian's bedroom and there he saw his beloved wife cradle their daughter in her arms. And he heard Lillian ask softly

"Why is nothing ever simple?"

Suddenly the evenings celebrations and festivities seemed cruel and out of place. Tomorrow he would have to tell Lillian that James was now an outlaw and he knew that that wouldn't make things any simpler.

* * *

She hadn't known where else to go, so Lillian had found herself in Nottingham market, wandering around the stalls, sweeping her hands along lengths of dyed silk and cotton, buying an amount of food that she'd later hand out to the Locksley Villagers and admiring several swords at the weaponry stall.

She had needed to get out and clear her head. She would have sat in her field of silver-green stalks but it simply brought back memories of her dusk there with him, she'd have walked in the forest but she was afraid she'd stumble in to him. She suddenly seemed trapped in her own home, but at the same time she had little idea why she hated the idea of seeing him so much, indeed she hardly understood these feelings at all.

So she had ridden into Nottingham, by herself, and wandered through the market, and after an hour or so of this wandering she had decided to go home. Her father and mother had taught her from early on that running away never solved a problem, meeting it head on was how to deal with it. She had walked over to where she had tied up her horses' reins to find that her mare was not there. She looked around, it wasn't unknown for children to take her horse for a ride, she'd quite often given children rides around the market or village, and she had laughed watching them desperately clinging on to the pommel of the saddle. But they always asked her before taking her horse and this time something didn't seem right.

Lillian walked over to the portcullis that divided the people from the castle, the sheriff from his people. She saw her horse on the other side; she shook her head and walked underneath the divide holding her basket full of food. Her horse was at the bottom of the steps, someone had clearly moved her, as she walked closer she noticed two legs – leather clad legs – the other side of her. She reached her mare and then walked around her to face Guy who had been standing behind her horses head.

He looked up and saw her "Lillian…"

"Give me my horse's reins" she demanded, she was in no mood to talk. Least of all to him.

Guy dropped the reins but he did not put them in her hands. Her horse, being released began to walk over to the castle entrance. Lillian followed her but Guy grabbed her right arm, beneath her elbow and she swung around to face him. Lillian's basket fell out of her right hand and its contents rolled across the courtyard ground.

"Let me go"

"No Lillian, I have something to say"

"Guy, now is not the time"

"No it is, I am sorry, I am and I can be a good man, let me show you"

"Stealing my horse was not the way to show me that!" Lillian could feel herself loosing her tether. She was not in a position she wanted to be in but his grasp was too tight, his hand too strong.

"I can be good! I just need you to listen"

Lillian looked into his dark eyes and felt the smallest amount of pity for this man; he wasn't even talking to her, more trying to convince himself.

"Sometimes Guy people have gone too far. Now let me go"

Something changed in his eyes, he no longer wanted pity, now he was angry, and being in his hold was not a place Lillian wanted to be when his anger built up.

"Let me go" she whispered and when he simply tightened his grip she turned to face him completely and raised her leg, landing her knee between his legs.

It had the desire effect, Guy let go instantly and turned around reeling. Lillian ran to her horse quickly and mounted her mare and rode off as quickly as she could, as she galloped under the portcullis she turned back to see Guy standing at the bottom of the steps, his eyes ablaze. She saw him bend down and pick up a stray apple that had landed at their feet, he took a large bite out of it and glared at Lillian as she faced forward and rode as quickly as she could home.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews for last chapter. Here's chapter 18, I hope you enjoy it despite the fact it is in particularly cheery, it gets happier I promise.**

**As always please review and constructively critisce else I don't know if you like it or what you think of it. Reviews are really important and helpful to me. Thanks.**

* * *

Chapter 18

Lillian closed the door sharply, she sighed, her palms resting against the door in front of her. She breathed in and out a few times in an attempt to gain composure and then turned around. To face Marian and Robin; her parents were sitting together in a chair; they had turned it from facing the fire so that it faced whoever walked through the door. Lillian knew her father well; he had done this for effect. When she had stormed out earlier that morning after he had told her of James's addition to the outlaw gang she had known that when she returned she was going to be faced with such a scene. Her mother sat on her father's lap and until she had walked in they had been reminiscing about times gone by, happy memories. Robin's arms were tied around Marian's waist and she leant back against his chest, completely at ease. Then Lillian had walked in and the couple had sat up and shaken off their smiles and looked at Lillian with stony glances.

She raised her arms in mock self-defence. "I am sorry, I should not have left like that, I apologise"

"We know darling, it is not easy" Marian replied, a smile warming her face

"Is it ever?"

Robin shook his head at his daughters question in reply "No there are only a few things in life that are, even love is hard" he answered, squeezing his wife's hand. "But you are ok?"

"I will be" Lillian paused "I did bump into Guy though"

Robin's eyes sharpened and his whole stance became tighter and alert "You're ok?"

"Yes nothing happened… short of self-defence"

"Lillian what happened?"

"Well Sir Guy may be a little…sore for the rest of today" Lillian said, barely containing her amusement.

Robin looked at his daughter and smiled and then his chuckle turned into a laugh, Marian looked at her husband questioningly then as she began to understand her husband's laughter she turned open mouthed to Lillian as a look of realization swept over her face.

"Oh Lillian you didn't!"

Lillian looked back at her with her father's smirk but a look which Marian recognised as her own sheepish one. Her blue eyes grew wide and she looked ever so innocent. It reminded Marian of the look Lillian would wear when she was little and came home late after an adventure with uncles Much and Will. Or when Robin and she would come in late after archery practice, or the numerous occasions she and Sophia would walk into the Manor with dirty hands and faces, their dresses ripped, and then they would smile their toothy grins and ask for some of Marian's homemade lemonade.

Robin continued to laugh while Marian tenderly remembered those precious moments.

"Stop encouraging her Robin!" she said in an attempt to scold both her husband and her daughter but her demand had little effect as she too burst into laughter before she had finished her sentence.

* * *

James slung the sack over his shoulder. It was heavier than he had expected and he was surprised at how quickly his feet tired, in fact he was astonished to find out how large Sherwood Forest really was, and how much work the outlaws did in a day, they had already visited Bonchurch and they were now travelling south to Nettlestone. His bag was laden with food, which they had 'acquired' from the Sheriff's kitchens the previous day, it had been a mission that had taken place not long before James had arrived and truth be told he was almost dreading the time when he would have to go and steal the Sheriff's food next time.

As if getting used to being a new outlaw wasn't hard enough he had a lively set of brothers to now know. Much's insistent moaning and talking, and even on occasions singing, was already testing James's patience as was Allan and Much's constant bickering. It rarely stopped. Ever. They were constantly at loggerheads over something and more often that not it was something completely insignificant, but as soon as one petty argument seemed to finish another began. Will had smiled at James's bemused face last night when the two men were really getting animated, he'd moved from sitting next to Djaq to walk over to the 'new boy'.

"You get used to it" he'd said with a chuckle, before having to run over and break up the argument which had now become a wooden spoon fight.

As James trudged up yet another hill he looked in front at Will and Djaq. He had been with the outlaws less than one day but he could already see how much they were in love. Neither showed great signs of public affection, firstly, James thought, both were too shy and it would feel too uncomfortable in the camp. Secondly, they didn't need too. It was plain to see that they would both lay down their lives before the other was hurt, they would sacrifice all they had for each other, and they didn't need to walk with their arms slung round each other's shoulders or wrapped around waists. They didn't need to constantly stop and softly kiss, they simply walked side by side, occasionally their hands would rub or brush past the others but they were completely happy and content walking simply side by side. They didn't need to do anything more. James liked that, and a part of him wished that he could have that too. In fact quite a large part, and perhaps with a certain someone.

James looked to his right, at his father. Robin had warned him that John was a man of small words. They had spoken in length last night before the celebratory dinner; they had spoken of Alice, of Locksley, of the gang, the life James was choosing. James had recalled all the events John had missed, all the memories, the childhood he had had with Alice and her new husband, and his death, and then the journey to Locksley.

James had mentioned his new friends, the people of Locksley but he had also spoken of his anger towards Alice; his mother. John had agreed he could stay, he wanted to be with his son but they both agreed that Alice needed to be told, a deal Robin had stressed the importance of. James knew there were other people that needed to be told.

Part of him missed the simple life he had spent in Locksley, though it had been but three days they had been days spent in good company, new found friends, in the spring sun, making daisies, sitting on hills at dusk, but most of all with Lillian.

* * *

Marian opened the door to see Guy standing on the other side of the threshold.

"Sir Guy" she said formally

"Where is your daughter?"

Marian was taken aback by his abrupt and severe tone, then she recalled the morning's events with Lillian. She looked behind Guy to see a dozen guards. She looked at him questioningly.

"I do not know, why do you want to see her?"

Guy remained silent.

At this point Robin had made it to the door, he slid his arm around Marian's waist and looked at his arch enemy.

"State your purpose Gisbourne."

"I am arresting Lillian for assaulting me, and assisting in continually perverting the course of justice. She will be hung by rope without trial." Guy delivered his cold statement with an equally cold tone.

Rather than cry out in fury or rage, Robin tightened his grip on Marian and she stared at Guy with a look he recognised but did not know himself; it was the look of a mother, that unswerving loyalty and protection of their child.

"Search the house!" Several Guards stepped forward while others marched around to the back of the manor. Villagers began to emerge from their cottages to see what the commotion was about.

Marian lurched forward at Guy "No! Guy stop them!"

Robin did not have a weapon to hand and he was far too outnumbered. He beat off the first few guards attempting to walk through the front door but there was little he could do against those which had burst through the manor's back entrance.

Lillian sat at her desk, her special box open fingering the lilac sweetpea. Its petals were drooping and it was starting to shrivel up where it had no water or nutrients. Rather like her relationship with James she thought. She turned her head round at the sound of her door creaking open but rather than see her mother as she was expecting she saw a couple of guards. It was at this moment she heard noise, her mother's screams, Guy's tone, a thud to the ground which she dearly hoped wasn't either of her parents. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard the commotion that had been occurring downstairs. She cursed herself for her foolishness and cursed James for good measure, for filling her thoughts. It was at this moment everything turned hazy.

Robin watched from the door, a few guards unconscious at his feet, Marian standing close to him with tear stained cheeks and Guy outside the manor waiting with his horse and a length of rope. He watched as his handcuffed daughter came groggily down the stairs, in between two uniformed guards. The chain that held her wrists together swung making a clinking noise that rung in Robin's ears. There was a red mark on her left cheek and it looked as if a bruise would form there. When she reached the bottom of the steps she swayed slightly, barely able to hold up her own head. Robin instinctively ran over to her and held up her face in his hands. She looked into his green eyes with a sudden alertness and fear.

"I will get you out of this" Robin stated with reverence.

"I know" She whispered back.

The guards dragged her out of the manor and Guy tied the rope to her manacles. The Locksley villagers watched as their young heroine was dragged away by Sir Guy's great stallion to the dungeons of Nottingham castle.

* * *

Marian walked up to her daughter's room as Robin dragged the fallen guards outside the manor. She looked at the toppled chair, the dirt on the floor from the guard's boots and the spilled contents of her daughter's desk. Paper that had been neatly stacked now lay strewn across the oak table and a few sheets had fallen to the floor. A box, she recognised as the one she had given Lillian on her tenth birthday was on its side, its contents scattered across the desk.

Marian picked up the stray pieces of paper and restacked them, she laid the now tatty quill on top of them and mopped up the spilt ink. Then she set the box right and delicately put the candle back in it and the daisy chains, she knew not their significance but understood they were of sentimental value to her dear daughter.

What Marian missed was the lilac sweetpea that Lillian had held in her hands as the guards fist came down on her face. That lilac sweetpea from a stolen moment at the wood store with James, a lingered touch, a precious memory. The sweetpea that now lay trampled on her daughter's floor.

* * *

The guards threw Lillian with little or no care at all into the cell. It was the cell furthest from the jail door and the one which Lillian knew her father had been thrown in, in similar circumstances, many years ago when he had just returned from the Crusades. She sat down on the wooden bar that stood as a seat and waited, then surely enough she heard Vaysey's cackling begin to start up, it grew in volume until he arrived at the top of the stairs and looked through the bars at her.

"Dear, dear Lillian. You've got yourself into a spot of bother, and now I will finally see the back of you! I shall see the back of you swing to and fro, to and fro. This will be a good day!" he said before laughing again

"Do you think this is clever Vaysey? Murdering a young girl for nothing!" Lillian looked at him hard.

"No, no, not for nothing… You will be hung by rope for assaulting dear Guy and… something to with the law"

"Assisting in continually perverting the course of justice" Guy added in

"Oh la-di-dah, the fact of the matter is by tomorrow evening I'll never have to look at your face again, shame, it was such a pretty face."

"You think _I_ pervert the course of justice? If that is a crime to be hung for then you should be hung a hundred times over!"

"You always did ruin your pretty face with your tongue. Ta ra Lillian, I'll see you at the gallows!"

And with that Vaysey went off cackling the way he had come.

The guards filed in order after him and Lillian stood up and walked over to the bars, she looked at Guy and whispered

"What was it you said to me? 'I can be a good man', this is not the deed of a good man Guy"

"You didn't listen, now you will pay for your ignorance"

"Guy you can change this, we're alone, help me escape and show me that you can be this good man you think you are"

"No, that chance has gone and you will be responsible for the fact that I am still a bad man"

"Don't put your faults with me!"

Guy glared at her one final time and then began to walk, his heavy footsteps echoing around the other, empty cells. Leaving Lillian all alone.

"A good man doesn't walk away!"

But Lillian's cries fell to deaf ears. So she stood, wrists sore from the now removed manacles, hands gripped on the bars which locked her up, her knuckles turning white, a tear making tracks down her left, swollen cheek and all alone.


	19. Chapter 19

**I can't believe this is chapter 19, and at the same time I can't believe how long it has taken to get here, I'm so sorry. And it feels as if it's only just begginning because we have so much more to go, I really hope you're enjoying this, this has to be the longest chapter to date, quite possibly the longest I've ever done in all my fics but it's a very significant and important one.**

**Please review and feedback else I don't know what you think and I'm sure there's way for me to improve this and I'd really love to hear your thoughts on not only this chapter but the rest, the plot and my writing. Conscructive critiscm - as always - is very welcome.**

* * *

Chapter 19

The walls were made of cold stone which she rested the back of her head against, her knees were drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her shins trying to stay warm in the cold underground, the warm spring Locksley days seemed years ago now; a long ago memory, slowly fading over time. Each time remembered getting more hazy and seeming further away, further out of reach. Her eyes were now dry, old tears had made tracks down her face, tracks which hadn't been wiped away, tracks which now we're old and told the story of a long, hurtful, lonely evening. Ears rang with the cackle of the Sheriff, the taunting of the guards and Guy's last harsh words, but also of a father's promise; "I will get you out of this".

She had no more tears to weep, but she did not need to cry. She had been in worse situations; she had seen death before her own eyes, heard of horror stories, seen gallows, famine and empty souls. Locked away in a cell may be an experience she had not had before, previously being too young, naïve and innocent to get herself in such a situation but she knew that her father and mother would stay true to their promise. She knew a group of people, however small, that were willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good, that regularly fought oppression and this system that was called 'justice' that authority figures called 'the law' but was anything but moral, kind and just. People that made a difference, who sought change, who had purpose, drive and determination. People who could and would save her. Her, a strong, independent, feisty woman, but also a young girl of less than twenty who was away from home in a cold, damp cell for doing no more than fighting for the just cause she believed in and trying to stop a conversation she knew would end badly.

Lillian sat listening to insistent dripping that occurred somewhere in the dungeons, and remembered that when her father had been in this cell her mother and his friends had rescued him. She clung onto that thought, for it was the small piece of hope she had.

* * *

"We have to go now then!"

Allan turned and looked to the new addition to the gang, the gang had been moving towards Locksley for the weekly charity and Robin had called them into the Manor. He had told them of Lillian's encounter with Guy at the castle, though he hadn't explained why she was upset though some already knew, he recalled the guards storming in, Lillian being dragged down the stairs and to Guy's awaiting horse. Marian told them of her room, the mess the guards had left and of their promise to Lillian.

James knew why Lillian had stormed out of the house, he knew why she had ended up in the market rather than in the forest. He knew that it was himself that had made her angry and upset, that it was because of the fury he had caused her that she hadn't wanted to speak to Guy and why she had eventually hurt the man. He knew that if he hadn't made his decision to join the outlaws then this would not be happening, this mess would not have occurred.

Will pointed out that sitting here would not be of great use and that in their current angry state they weren't going to string together a plan, a half-decent one at that, so the gang took the sacks of food and did what they did best; helped the poor, the vulnerable. All of them except one, James stayed where he was, sat on a chair around the great Manor table, an experience he had wished could have happened at a better time. He had imagined sitting there when they had successfully saved some villagers lives, when the table would be heaped with food and they would all sit together. Robin would sit at the head of the table with Marian on his left – defying protocol – Allan would sit on Robin's right, claiming his self importance and Will would sit next to him, best friends together, and Djaq would sit opposite Will, gazing into the depths of each others eyes. Much would have plonked himself at the foot of the table, feeling it was a position he had earnt and Lillian contently would have let him, preferring to sit next to Djaq, in the middle of the table. James had envisaged himself sitting opposite her, so that he could have glanced at her constantly and could have touched her feet with his. His father would have sat next to him, and there would be a seat between Much and Lillian and opposite John for Edward should he join them.

Platters of food would have been carefully passed down the long table and conversation would have flowed, jugs would have emptied and refilled with water and wine and smiles shared, memories made, laughs heard. And all the while James would have glanced at Lillian and known that they were between the best of people, in the middle of a loving table, merged between couples and friends, not in seats of attention or position, but opposite each other gazing into the depths of each other eyes.

James's eyes turned back to reality, to the cruel, harsh daylight rather than the warm candlelit evening of his dream, he sat by himself round an empty table knowing that if they didn't act soon his dream would be just that; a dream, something that could not be made true or real.

* * *

Guy marched down the corridor, his boots making a resounding thud onto the cold, stone floor. He grabbed the girl by her arm and swung her round to face him. She could be no more than nineteen years of age, she held sheets in her hands, clean ones to replace the dirty ones she had just stripped off Sir Guy's bed. She looked up at the superior man and shook her head.

"I'm sorry me lord, but I haven't heard nothing"

Guy looked down at the big, brown eyes of his informant, her brown mousy hair tied up. No one would suspect her, she looked as innocent as the next but he, and she, knew that she was capable of extracting any gossip or secret from the servants of the castle. Vaysey always told Guy that the little people held the larger secrets, which was true, and so Guy had made sure that such little people could not hide. She was paid well when she turned up with something interesting, new or true. And if not then Guy made sure he had his own little fun with her, not that she appeared to mind. She was far from stupid, but she wasn't clever and she was well aware of the fact that if her washer friends knew of her arrangement with Sir Guy she would be outcast and left quite alone. As it was, she had managed to keep the arrangement under wraps and nobody knew, not even the Sheriff himself.

"Well as soon as you do find something, you come and find me. I'll be in my room"

And with that, they departed and she went off to unravel a secret that would change the lives of certain people in Nottingham.

* * *

James walked out of the manor and into the dull light, it was neither sunny nor cloudy, an in between. But he knew that even if it didn't rain this evening, if he hadn't saved Lillian his world would be a storm and his stormy eyes would never be calmed. If he didn't save Lillian then there was no hope and little point.

He had come to Locksley today with the aim of telling his mother of his decision and talking to Lillian too. Only one of these people he could now speak to and he smiled slightly at Robin as they walked over to his mother's cottage. John walked behind them, Robin thought it was the first time he had seen the man scared or timid. He tried to put himself in the large man's shoes and imagine what it would be like to be separated from Marian and Lillian. He could not do it; he couldn't even begin to imagine the pain, hurt and anger Little John was feeling. And how scared he must be of looking into the eyes of the woman you love after so long, the only parallel Robin could draw to it was seeing Marian after five long years in the Holy Land. He had feared she would have been forced into marriage with an old nobleman or something worse. But Alice had been gone for near twenty years and they shared a son, only John knew how that truly felt.

James knocked on the door lightly and waited for Alice to gingerly pull open the door, she grinned when she saw him and flung herself onto him in a large hug, then she looked over her son's shoulder and saw Robin and Little John. Suddenly her son's embrace felt neither warm nor happy, it was cold, unreturned and empty. She took a step back and looked at the three men who greeted her, her old husband who she had had to leave, her beloved son who had run from her and the lord of this manor, the man who had provided her with this house, but a man whose loyalties lay with Little John.

Robin nodded in the direction of the house and solemnly and silently the group made their way into the small cottage.

"James has come here today to tell you something he feels you need to know" Robin started, inviting the young man to continue.

James nodded and shuffled his feet; he'd planned what to say and rehearsed it a hundred times over but now actually having to say it to his mother was so much harder. He couldn't look her in the eyes as he began to speak.

"I am sorry for leaving you but I am doing what I think – and know – to be right. I have finally found my father and a profession where I can make a difference and stand for change. I can be of use and of importance, I need time away from you and us, I think in choosing this path I help both of us in the long run."

He hesitantly looked up at his mother. She had little space to pick argument in what he'd said. He had spoken clearly and as he had continued to speak his voice had grown stronger and clearer, he had presented the situation to her as if it were a speech of most importance. Which it was. Though he wasn't addressing the people, or encouraging others to join their cause, this first little speech of his was one of personal importance and one which he would have to draw upon when he needed to talk to others. He knew that there was one other specific, important person who he had to tell his decision to, only he hoped he could look her in the eye, and that he wouldn't have to defend his choice, rather he hoped it would be a friendly conversation between allies.

Alice walked over to her son and hugged him, he put his arms around her, but they weren't warm or very loving. Though he had made a brave choice and done the right thing in telling her under it all he still felt some anger and resentment for what she had done to him and his father.

James let go of his mother and walked forward to collect a few things and put them in a bag, a similar deed to the one his mother had told him to do a few weeks ago on preparation for their journey for Locksley, a village that he hadn't realised he had been returning to. His home village, where he had come back to for such a small time and now was leaving once more.

"John" Alice said, with a deep tone that held many feelings and emotions.

"I will take care of our son Alice." John left it at that, he wasn't going to speak as much as James had though he had plenty more he could have said, he hadn't prepared a speech for when you truly love someone, words are found easily and said without plotting or planning. He didn't need to make up some elaborate speech, when you are in love the words you speak are true, and pure and honest. All of these things were John. His word was one that after all this time Alice thought she could trust.

And so the three men left the cottage and Alice was left by herself, hoping that this meeting signalled the start to a reconciliation with James and perhaps John too.

* * *

With Lillian's final hour getting closer they needed a plan and quick.

Simplicity was Will's idea, Allan wanted something more exciting and complex but James then reminded him of the stakes, if this didn't work then their loses would be great. There was no room for error and mistake, it had to work like clockwork and no one could afford to put a foot wrong. Lillian was dear to them all and none of them even wanted to imagine a life without her if this plan did not succeed.

Will reminded Robin of a similar situation near twenty years ago when Allan and he had been in the nooses. Robin nodded; Will was looking back at past successes and trying to use them here, but as Marian gently reminded them that experience had led them all to be outlawed in the forest, which was not a path she wished her daughter to be forced into.

* * *

He should feel something. Guilt? Sorrow? Shame?

Guy shook his head, she hadn't listened to him and so now she would pay for her troubles, she had publicly humiliated him he assured himself, though he knew that but a couple of guards no one had seen her attack. And those guards had also seen his vice-like grip and angry words to her, had her actions really been self defence?

What he was doing was good, it had pleased Vaysey, and perhaps it was the start to a promotion of sorts, perhaps this would finally be a sign to Prince John that he was worth more than just Vaysey's servant. He had waited long enough and paid his dues, the execution of Robin Hood's daughter would spread up and down the country, it would break the unbreakable, spread fear throughout the populace, and people would be forced to reconsider their loyalty to the righteous Hood; if he couldn't save his daughter, how could he save all the people?

"_Guy, now is not the time"_

She'd warned him that she wasn't ready or willing to talk, but he'd pushed her hadn't he? Had he brought this upon himself?

Now he was doubting himself which made him even more cross with himself, and furious with her. He needed to be able to concentrate because if he didn't focus then he had no one else to rely on, he was his only ally. Alone in the world if he couldn't trust his own thoughts and judgement then he was a nothing, a nobody.

So he had to continue down this path, this road that had seemingly built in front on him without him realising. This path he wasn't aware he was taking, a choice he felt had been made for him. A life that was becoming a nightmare. A fate already chosen.

* * *

The crowd began to trickle through, under the portcullis and into the courtyard. Word had spread like wild fire that Lillian of Locksley the infamous Robin Hood's daughter was to be hung. The hanging wasn't to be for a few hours yet but people's curiosity had brought them here early.

Lillian stayed curled into a ball, her legs still brought up to her chest, her left cheek rested on her knees she looked out of her cell and at the steps as if someone would come up them and rescue her. Instead a servant maid walked up them bringing with her a tray carrying water and a hunk of stale bread. It also carried a pile of white cotton; an execution hood and a white shift. Lillian stayed looking out, she had no interest in her food, and it wouldn't stay down anyway, the maid was better to eat it herself. As for the clothes Lillian would have rather worn her dress and no hood so at least she could have looked at her family one last time.

"I brought you food, my lady. And your clothes"

Lillian looked into her blue eyes "I'm not hungry, thank you"

The woman put the tray on the floor and knelt by the bars, she beckoned for Lillian to come closer and reluctantly Lillian shuffled closer to the bars which kept her locked in.

"You're Robin Hood's daughter."

Lillian nodded; she wasn't sure whether it was a question or a statement but for the first time she noticed the maid's age. Her hair was starting to go wispy and there were the odd silver strands in it. Her eyes looked worn and tired, looked as if they had seen too many things, and witnessed things that shouldn't have been witnessed. But then she had that little twinkle in her eye, as if she was up to no good, as if she had a plan, as if she knew something that she really shouldn't. And as she opened her mouth to speak Lillian knew that this woman, who must have been at least five years older than her own mother, was about to impart sacred knowledge, a task for Lillian and a potential escape route.

"Then I have something to tell you…"

* * *

The guards walked through the dungeons and past all the empty cells, they clambered up the stairs to the cell which held the lady Lillian. The lady sat on the wooden bench in her white shift with her hood over her head, one of the guards stifled a laugh at the sight and together the pair stood either side of the hooded figure and walked her to her death.

The crowd fell silent as the guards brought out the prisoner and a Locksley woman let out a cry as she saw her. Robin and Marian stood at the front of the crowd, across the gallows from Vaysey who stood on the steps. Will had mingled himself in the crowd as had Much. Robin glanced over to the young Scarlett lad and was met with his glance; Will rose his eyebrows in confusion to see her hooded already. Djaq was hidden by the crowd at the back of the courtyard, ready to run forward once Vaysey had gone inside and Allan, who stood in the gallery, had shot Lillian down. Little John and James – under much protest – had remained at Locksley Manor; they needed this plan to work smoothly and both Marian and Robin guessed that James was slightly more emotionally involved in this than he let on, and Robin knew that they had to remain inconspicuous and a large party put the plan at risk.

Vaysey chuckled as the executioner tied the noose around the lady's neck.

"Today we are shown that despite wealth, power, land and titles you cannot escape the system of justice! Everyone is treated equally, noblemen are no different." He nodded at the executioner "Goodbye Miss Lillian Locksley!"

The executioner kicked the stool from under her feet and the crowd gasped, Marian grabbed Robin's hand in shock and Guy took a sharp intake of breath. He moved, from Vaysey's side, and walked to his room, he knew he had caused this death; he didn't need to see anymore. But Vaysey remained and Marian's grip on Robin's hand tightened as the seconds kept on ticking past, the arrow strung on Allan's bow stayed put and Djaq had to stay where she was though she was desperate to run forward and save her patient. Finally as the executioner sauntered off and her feet stopped kicking the air did Vaysey walk inside and as the door slammed behind him Allan released his arrow, the rope broke and the body fell to the gallows floor. Marian ran what seemed like an ever growing distance and Djaq raced to the gallows with her medical kit. Robin with Marian rolled the body onto its back and Marian drew out her knife to cut away the noose. Much and Will made it to the gallows and stood, on the courtyard stones, besides the gallows platform waiting. Allan raced down the stairs as the crowd dispersed to allow the family some space.

Marian's hand shook as she eventually broke the rope and Robin flung the hood off as quickly as he could, but deep inside they knew it was all too late. It was one step too far, a trick too far gone, a promise unbroken, still they persevered to rescue what they already knew deep down was already gone.

Robin looked at the body, puzzled; this was not his daughter.

The whole gang stood either on the platform or on the courtyard stones around it stared at the face of a woman who was not their Lillian.

"Looking for me?" A soft voice spoke and the gang turned round to look at their beloved Lillian, daughter and sister-like friend dressed in a maids dress too big for her. Allan the closest ran to her and dragged her into a hug as the rest of the gang circled around her, Lillian let out a sob of fear and then a laugh as Allan refused to let her go.

"Don't you ever do that to us again, do you hear me, that's not even funny. You're like my little sister…"

Marian came behind and tore Allan off Lillian allowing herself and Robin to hug their daughter.

Then after all the embraces Lillian looked at the group's physician.

"She didn't make it did she?"

Djaq shook her head and the group turned round to remember the fallen woman, a woman they didn't know, which they'd never met but who held great importance. A woman who Lillian had made a promise to, which she now had to do. A dying wish she now has to fulfil.

Lillian went over to the woman as between them Will and Allan scooped her up.

"She was a good woman."

"What happened?" Robin asked and as they carried her body to the forest Lillian recalled the events the hours before the hanging.

* * *

"I brought you food, my lady. And your clothes"

Lillian looked into her blue eyes "I'm not hungry, thank you"

The woman put the tray on the floor and knelt by the bars, she beckoned for Lillian to come closer and reluctantly Lillian shuffled closer to the bars which kept her locked in.

"You're Robin Hood's daughter." Lillian nodded "Then I have something to tell you… and you must promise me that you'll do as I say."

She looked expectantly at the young lady and Lillian nodded and in that moment made a large irreversible decision.

"My name is Sarah and I came to Nottingham Castle five years ago with an aim that to this day I still have not achieved, an aim I now see is impossible. I live in a cottage in a town just outside Nottinghamshire called Dunbar, I live with my nephew who we call Luke, he came to me when he was just two years old, his mother, my sister was called Annie, she used to live here a long while ago but she had to leave with her babe to be safe. She caught the fever that ran through her new village and so they sent baby Luke to me to look after with a letter from her, which explained everything.

Luke knows I'm not his real mother but he barely remembers Annie and he's not seen his father since he was born, he doesn't know who he is, and I've told him that I don't either. But I lied; I've lied all these years because the truth is a dangerous secret that few know."

As the woman spoke a picture painted in Lillian's mind, a poor Nottingham woman fleeing her home with her child, a baby passed to aunt, growing up not knowing his real parents. Lillian felt sorry for this Luke; this painting was not a kind one.

"Then why are you telling me?" Lillian was willing to help this woman but she didn't understand why she would share her carefully guarded secret with a prisoner facing death.

"Because you're Robin Hood's daughter and he knows the truth. Listen, Luke lives in the cottage in the middle of the semi circle in Dunbar, knock on the door and you tell him that you've come with a message from me, and then tell him the truth; he has to know the truth now. He's old enough and he can make the decision because I have not been able to."

"Sarah, I would love to help but you see my position, in a few hours the Sheriff will have me hung, go to Locksley tell my father and he can fulfil your wish."

"No, I am an old woman who has failed my mission set by Annie, to make Luke's father see sense, but I am a coward and after five years here I still haven't got the guts to do it. I can't kill him, my lady, I can't do it. And so I am ashamed and I see little point in returning to Dunbar with the mission left undone and Annie's dying wish unfulfilled. So I will take your place. Here, you take my dress and I'll put on your execution clothes, I'll slot the hood over my heads and the guards are foolish enough not to even know, the noose'll be tied round my neck before anyone will question it."

Lillian stared, shocked, at this woman who see had known for barely half an hour, who was willing to swap places and save her life. It was a plan she had obviously thought about, though Lillian still could not condone it.

"I can't let you do that."

Sarah smiled at the young girl "Perhaps when you're old enough you'll understand, once you reach my years and experience. The future lies in the young, in people like Luke and yourself. We're going to do this."

And with that Sarah withdrew a key from her dress pocket and quietly opened the cell door.

"How did you get that?"

Sarah grinned "The guards are usually drunk as well as foolish."

And so the pair changed, Sarah donning the white shift and Lillian a maid's clothes and hair cloth. She shoved her own dress up the maid's clothes and Sarah's clothes being too large for Lillian covered up the noble woman's dress. Getting passed the guards would be simple, with the hair cloth stretched over her brown locks and a tray in front of her Lillian looked like a different woman.

"Now give this letter to Luke, it explains all of this" she said producing several sheets of folded parchment "Let me finish my tale and then you can go."

"We could both escape." Lillian pointed out.

"No, this way Vaysey thinks he has got rid of you. He'll send word to Prince John and then when you appear John will think the Sheriff's gone mad, you'll then be free to live the life you choose."

"Thank you." Lillian said softly, a lifeline was not something she took for granted. This woman showed that there was kindness among oppression. It was a charitable favour that Lillian would never forget.

* * *

Lillian turned to look at her father, seated on their horses they were nearly half way on their journey to Dunbar. Following Sarah's final command and wish they had burned her body in the forest, a small ceremony for a brave woman. Now they needed to find a young man who went by the name Luke. But Lillian knew his true identity and after hearing the most part of Sarah's tale Robin could guess the young man's identity too.

* * *

There was a knock at the door and he sighed.

"Come in" Guy snarled. He was in no mood for Vaysey's tauntings about Lillian's death neither did he want a message for dinner as he wasn't hungry.

His informant slipped through the door. He looked up at her expectantly, though truth be told, he wasn't greatly interested in any news she may shed. That was until she had told him what she knew.

"Me lord, I've got news for you…"

* * *

By the time they reached Dunbar it was nearly sundown. The gang waited on their horses outside while Lillian went to the middle cottage. She tentatively knocked on the door, knowing that from what she was to say she'd change his life forever, and perhaps set the future on a different course.

A young man opened the door; he was a few years older than her, though not quite as old as James. His hair was a lighter brown than both James's and Lillian's and his eyes were a pale blue, not as piercing as Lillian's and not as grey as James's. He smiled upon seeing the pretty young girl at his door.

"I've come with a message from Sarah" Lillian spoke nervously.

"Come in"

Lillian's feet stepped over the threshold and into the small cottage, a small fire was gently simmering in the corner and there were a couple of stools and a table with various things on it, of which Lillian did not have time to look over. Having changed out of Sarah's maids dress and into the dress she had been imprisoned in, behind a tree in the forest, Lillian looked like a noblewoman but a scruffy one at that, her hair was flowing free and wild and the dress was scuffed and torn in a couple of places. She looked as if she'd been crying and been in a fight. Not that Luke minded in the least.

She had no idea how to start.

They stood opposite each other, a few feet from the door, Lillian was facing him and where he was standing he could see the door over her shoulder. He looked into her eyes and see diverted her gaze to the floor.

"Yesterday I was arrested and sentenced to be hung earlier today. Clearly I am not dead."

Luke let out a laugh.

"But somebody did die today, she was a brave woman who took my place, her name was Sarah; … your aunt. I'm so sorry"

Lillian looked up at the young man who slowly processed the news, his grin faded and he looked at Lillian sadly.

"She asked me to tell you some very hard news, which she also wrote down in this letter." Lillian handed over the folded sheets of parchment and Luke took them "I am only telling you this because if I don't tell you now then the truth risks getting out another way and Sarah wanted you to hear this from me. You're mother was a woman called Annie, which I'm told you already know, what you don't know is that you left Nottinghamshire as a baby, running away from an horrible man, she changed your name to protect you're identity."

Lillian could no longer look into the eyes of the broken man. Instead she looked at the table and her eyes focused on a miniature bow. She smiled softly and Luke followed her gaze.

"You're real name is Seth." She heard the sounds of moving hooves outside. She had expected the gang to wait for her, not leave. "And I know who you're father is, and I'm sorry for he is not a man of justice or morals. He is neither fair nor kind and it was your mother's and aunt's wishes that he shouldn't have walked this earth and left the destruction in his path but he is still alive and his name --"

The cottage door banged open and Lillian's head whipped around to see the man in the doorway. Her head turned back around to face Luke quickly.

"Sir Guy" her words were both an address and an admission.

Though the small town of Dunbar was situated just outside of Nottinghamshire it was a town that had regularly changed county depending on a Sheriff's greed for land. As a result of its closeness to Nottingham Sir Guy of Gisbourne was not an unheard name. Luke knew the man who now stepped towards him and Lillian's words were beginning to piece together in his mind.

"You are my father?"

"Yes" Guy stated simply.

There was silence for a moment before Guy spoke again.

"You should pack your things and come with me. In Nottingham you can learn of the Gisbournes and your heritage, I can get you a job and food."

"That is if you want to leave your home behind" Lillian did not know how Guy knew of his son's existence or why he wanted him close to him and she felt some responsibility towards the young man despite the fact he was older than herself.

"Well if you'd rather a cold damp cottage to a luxury room in Nottingham Castle then that would seem rather foolish to me."

Luke turned his head from looking at his father to down at the smaller Lillian "And you will be in Nottingham?"

"Yes."

Luke nodded.

"Good, pack a few things, I'll send guards early tomorrow morning to collect anything else."

Luke went through to the small bedroom to collect his things and once he left them Guy turned on Lillian.

"You are supposed to be dead."

"That depends on your view, I could say the same for you yet you still stand here."

"I didn't commit assault."

"No, you just committed murder instead! How did you know anyway?"

"I have my sources and it appears you have yours too."

Guy smiled slowly as Luke re-entered the room, he swung the small sack over his shoulder and smiled at Lillian, he leant down to the table in the room and picked up pieces of parchment and the miniature bow that Lillian had spotted earlier. She smiled at him as he left his cottage and mounted Guy's horse behind his father.

Lillian looked out at her father and mother as she closed the cottage door behind her. She could see the rest of the gang hiding in the trees a little way from the cottage, Guy's stallion galloped off and the gang emerged from their hiding place. Other villagers had come from their cottages to see the commotion and Luke waved at his fellow villagers as he left.

Lillian walked over to the gang as they rode back over to Robin and Marian and Lillian's horse.

"That is that baby who would not stop crying!" Much stated.

"Yes, Seth Gisbourne." Robin nodded gravely.

"But he's now called Luke?" Will said and Lillian nodded; Robin had clearly brought the rest of the gang up to speed after she'd gone into the cottage and before Guy had turned up.

"It seems many people are changing their names." Marian pointed out.

And so Lillian mounted her horse and set off on the way to Locksley, which they wouldn't reach much before midnight, and as they rode she thought of the sudden events that had taken place that day and how she was still alive and yet perhaps she had failed Sarah's wish in letting Guy take Luke to Nottingham. Perhaps she did not deserve the luck she had. And perhaps Guy did not deserve such a son.

* * *

The table was lined with food, it was not heaving as they had come back late but it was full of company spare one chair and James smiled as the dream he had dreamt became a reality. He stared at Lillian across the table but she seemed preoccupied; engaged in her thoughts. Will smiled at his fiancé over the table, and longed for the day he could call her his wife. Allan made jokes and loud conversation, not forgetting to drop his archery skills and today's achievements in to talks at any possible occasion. Little John sat quietly, mulling over his meeting with Alice and listening to Much's non stop chatter. And Robin stared into his wife's eyes from time to time and reminded himself how fortunate and lucky he was, and now and then, when she felt his gaze upon her she would look up at her husband and smile. Then she would turn and look to her daughter who was back home; safe.

So James's dream became a reality, more or less. Lillian didn't look at him as often as he hoped though his eyes never drifted from her face. And when she did gaze into his stormy grey's she seemed a million miles away. Thinking of another time and place.

And Luke lay in his new bed, in his new room, with plenty of sheets and a raging fire, with a new life, a new found father, with a certain girl in his head and marvelled at the sudden turn of events.

And so the new generation was in Nottinghamshire, three people whose futures were all entwined, three shared fates, three inescapable futures. The people who the future lied in.


End file.
